Manchester United have a huge opportunity to regain a trophy that has eluded them since 2004 after a last-gasp Anthony Martial winner ensured they will return to Wembley for the showpiece event on May 21st.
Despite this, there are still suggestions that Louis van Gaal will lose his job at the end of the season, regardless of the result. After the semi-final on Saturday evening, Van Gaal said:
I am not looking beyond the FA Cup final. It’s not for me to judge, it’s for the board of Manchester United.
Van Gaal’s cagey response will only fuel rumours he is set to be replaced by the jobs long time admirer – Jose Mourinho. Despite this, there is room for optimism amongst the Dutchman’s supporters.
The semi-final saw United retain possession in a manner that has fast become their trademark this season, but the end products were a little more of the United panache of old, indicating Van Gaal had finally taken the reigns off his more creative players.
Anthony Martial had Muhamed Besic scampering in his wake as he dominated the wing. Jesse Lingard linked up well with Tim Fosu-Mensah on the opposite side, adding to the contributions of Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini, which saw United play less restrictive football. The only thing lacking was goals.
It could well be a case of too little too late for Van Gaal, however. His stubborn, unrelenting attitude to United’s oft-boring football has seen them lie in 5th place as the season draws to a close, with 4th placed Arsenal five points ahead having played a game more.
Where his eye for United’s particularly talented youth players may be alert, the lavish signings he has brought in have failed to shine, notably Dutch wonderkid Memphis Depay. How he handles David de Gea this summer may be key, too. Although currently under a transfer ban, that would not stop Real assembling a transfer package for the 25-year-old and simply not registering him until the ban is lifted, much like what Barcelona did in signing Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan.
Should United somehow scramble 4th place away from the Gunners, it would demand a stay of execution until the summer, to see whether the progress made by Van Gaal is encouraging enough to warrant him another year in the OT hot seat. On the evidence of Saturday’s game, he has done enough. Over the course of the season, it is simply not up to United’s mountainous standards.
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