Patrick Rees
All in all, it’s been another disappointing campaign for Manchester United. Louis van Gaal has failed to inspire confidence and lead a genuine title charge and the Red Devils are on the cusp of missing out on Champions League football for the second time in three years. If truth be told, an FA Cup victory over Crystal Palace would only help to mask over some of the blatant issues that are currently plaguing the club – and here’s why.
Ultimately, United are no longer the superpower that they once were. Three years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement as United romped to their 13th Premier League title but the Red Devils haven’t even been close to challenging since his departure. The David Moyes experiment was a complete failure and Van Gaal hasn’t fared much better during his brief tenure at Old Trafford.
As of May 11th, the Red Devils are priced at 4/5 with Betway to beat Crystal Palace in 90 minutes in the showpiece event at Wembley later this month and there’s simply no excuse for failure. United supporters will expect to emerge victorious and it could be the perfect way for Van Gaal to end his career. An FA Cup success would be welcomed, especially as the Red Devils haven’t won the competition since beating Millwall in 2004.
No matter what happens in the FA Cup final, United MUST invest heavily this summer if they are going to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal at the top. The Old Trafford hierarchy have a huge decision to make on Van Gaal’s future but one thing remains plainly simple: not even Sir Alex Ferguson could win the league with this group of players.
United should consider moving for Alexandre Lacazette. The Lyon forward recently became the first Frenchman to score 20+ goals in successive Ligue 1 seasons for the first time since 1998 and would give the Reds another option in attack. United have already missed out on Renato Sanches – one of the top-rated youngsters in Europe – after the Benfica star agreed a deal with Bayern Munich earlier this week.
If they sign wisely, there’s no reason why the Red Devils cannot climb the division and challenge for the crown. At the time of writing, Man Utd’s odds on winning the 2016/17 Premier League title are 8/1 with Betway but even the most ardent of supporters knows that this squad needs a lot of work before they can get their hands back on the crown.
Right now, United’s miserable position is bleak. The Red Devils may be set to compete in the Europa League next season and that means the added complication of football on Thursday nights. United should use that competition as the chance to play the youngsters and focus on competing for the Premier League next season. After all, if Leicester could go and win it this year, there’s no reason why United cannot get back to the big time.
