Why Winning the FA Cup Will Not Be Enough to Save Louis van Gaal

Louis van Gaal must be removed as manager of Manchester United whether or not his team win Saturday’s FA Cup final.

The FA Cup is a fine trophy to win, and many supporters will be giddy at the prospect of their club getting their hands back on the trophy they had once won more than any other team.

However, a regression in league position, a questionable transfer record and a season in which United played the least entertaining football in recent memory all combine to mean that whether or not it ends on a high, this must be Van Gaal’s last season in charge of United.

.@ManUtd boss Louis van Gaal stresses the importance of winning the “prestigious” @EmiratesFACup. #EmiratesFACup https://t.co/u6fST8JH9s

— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) May 20, 2016

If he was a young manager in the early stages of a long contract, then maybe the FA Cup could be seen as a sign of the kind of mentality needed to build a winning squad in the medium or long term. However, two-thirds of the way through a three-year deal, there is no reason to believe Van Gaal will make dramatic improvements next season.

After all, on top of everything that has gone wrong this season, in 2016/17, Van Gaal would be a lame duck, an authority figure stripped of authority. Players would only have to wait a year to wait him out, and maybe even less than that.

If next season gets off to a bad start—hardly a fanciful scenario given the many poor periods this season—the pressure would be …

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