Manchester United have a very slim chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season, with Louis van Gaal admitting that it would be a failure if the Red Devils were to finish outside the top four.
Manchester United have had a woeful season and the bulk of the blame is being directed at manager Louis van Gaal. The under-fire Dutchman did himself no favours with the fans recently, speaking highly of United’s relatively unimpressive achievements this season and claiming that aspirations of winning the title were not realistic.
“We can win the FA Cup. How many are still in the race? How many? Of course, when we don’t qualify ourselves [for the top four] then we don’t reach our aim,” he said, according to Goal.
“That is true, because our aim was to qualify, but we are in the final of the FA Cup and we are in the race [for fourth] going into the last match, so mathematically we can qualify still.
“How many teams can say that? Not many. Of course you can say Manchester United need to be champions. Yes, I know the expectations are like that, but I don’t think that is realistic.”
Possibly Louis van Gaal’s last game at Old Trafford
Manchester United welcome AFC Bournemouth to Old Trafford for their last league game of the season. They are currently a point short of their lowest points tally in a Premier League season, with a haul of just 63 points. They have also scored the fewest goals among the top 9 teams — their total of 46 goals scored is the same as 17th placed Sunderland, who just narrowly avoided relegation.
It has been a trying season for the Red Devils. Stripped of their trademark audacity and attacking prowess, Louis van Gaal has turned the style of play at Old Trafford into a tedious, overly complex and slow shadow of its former self. The Iron Tulip has one last chance of survival if United manage to beat Bournemouth and City lose to Swansea, but if the club fail to secure Champions League football then the sun could quickly set on his career as Manchester United manager.
