For a club that in 2000 was happy to ditch their defence of the FA Cup so they could play in the World Club Championship, winning soccer’s oldest trophy was never likely to be enough to convince Manchester United to keep faith with Louis van Gaal.
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“I am immensely proud to have helped United win the FA Cup for the 12th time in the club’s history”, said Van Gaal.
United will have to give the new manager – expected to be former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho – more financial backing to reshape the squad, yet again.
This limp display at the Britannia Stadium from United cranked up the pressure on Van Gaal even further.
United scored just 49 league goals this season, their lowest return for 26 years and many supporters felt van Gaal’s approach ran counter to the club’s traditional attacking style.
One of his regular phrases was that United’s expectations were too high, suggesting that the king of English football for two decades had better get used to leaner times in the coming years.
Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera is optimistic about their chances of winning more trophies following their FA Cup win.
Unfortunately for Van Gaal, the latest round of media reports regarding his sacking could well turn out to be true.
But United, without a league title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, see Mourinho as the “winner” they need as they look to revive their fortunes.
Van Gaal lifted the club from seventh place in the league under Moyes to fourth in his first season but, despite more lavish spending in the transfer market, the team stagnated and the fans became increasingly disgruntled. It strengthened United’s grip on fourth and derailed Liverpool’s efforts to replace United in the Champions League qualifying places.
A 4-2 comeback victory against crosstown rival Manchester City the following month saw a rare attacking demonstration from the Van Gaal’s side and the Dutchman leaves having lost just one of four Manchester derbies.
It’s been a hard two years for United under Van Gaal, but the club definitely owes him something.
While Van Gaal handed starts to a number of youth players, first-team players such as David de Gea, Danny Welbeck and Adnan Januzaj all featured and United was embarrassed.
A loss to Stoke on December 26 was United’s fourth straight defeat and left Van Gaal looking bewildered and pondering his future when he faced the media after the match.
Mourinho, like Van Gaal, has won trophies at all the clubs he has managed, but controversy and a sense of self-destruction has always followed him after the initial success.
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And former Chelsea coach Wilkins is backing the former Real Madrid to have an instant impact at Manchester United.
