MANCHESTER UNITED LIMP TO PREMIER LEAGUE FINISHING LINE WITH ANOTHER DISJOINTED VAN GAAL DISPLAY

Louis van Gaal's men improved after their uninspiring first half, but a lack of attacking verve will once again be a worry ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final.........

It’s not unusual for Manchester United to struggle at Old Trafford under Louis van Gaal, and if Tuesday’s win over Bournemouth proves to be the final time he manages the Red Devils at the Theatre of Dreams, it was certainly an apt way to go out.

Though the circumstances of the rearranged fixture and Manchester City’s draw on Sunday sucked some life out of the match, supporters would have been excused for thinking their team might put on a show before the campaign draws to a close. Van Gaal even promised as much beforehand, saying that he picked a full-strength side “because we also have to entertain our fans.”

If anything has become clear over the past two seasons, however, is that the veteran Dutch coach’s idea of entertainment is very different from those who were used to cheering on Sir Alex Ferguson’s swashbuckling serial title winners. Slow passing and a reluctance to leave themselves exposed in defence has become the norm for those cheering on the 20-time English champions.

And it was those characteristics that were clearly on show during what was frankly a forgettable end to a disappointing campaign. Some fans dared to dream that a 19-goal win that would catapult them above City into fourth might just come to pass, but it soon became clear Van Gaal was not going to shift away from his philosophy even in a match where even a defeat going for a remarkable win would be deemed acceptable.

Instead his side huffed and puffed as they failed to register a shot on target until Wayne Rooney opened the deadlock on the 43rd minute. The United captain’s 100th Premier League goal at Old Trafford was certainly a thing of beauty as Anthony Martial, Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford combined to lay the strike on a plate for Rooney, but it is the type of move which has been inconspicuous in its absence from much of United’s play this season.

With an FA Cup final to play in just four days’ time it is perhaps forgivable for United’s not to move out of second gear and risk their chance of representing the club at Wembley, though there performance will be giving Alan Pardew few sleepless nights. Though the hosts improved in the second half and deservedly made it 2-0 as Rashford celebrated his first England call-up with an angled finish and Ashley Young put some gloss on the result, it was not the blistering football that used to give opposition managers nightmares.

The Crystal Palace boss is unlikely to have seen anything from United that he was not expecting to come up against on Saturday, and though the Eagles will certainly start as underdogs, they are unlikely to be fazed by this United team given their struggles this term.

Whether this does in fact go down as the final time Van Gaal takes charge of the home side at Old Trafford remains to be seen. A lack of Champions League football has left him in a vulnerable position, and though winning a first trophy in three seasons might be seen as progress by some, the truth is this United side has gone backwards since last term. Youngsters like Rashford and Martial certainly look to have bright futures, but would they be able to thrive far more under a more adventurous coach? It is a question Ed Woodward and the club’s hierarchy will be forced to weigh up in the coming days.

For now, though, United can concentrate on attempting to win a trophy they have not lifted since 2004. It may well be the final time we see Van Gaal in English football. A repeat performance from Tuesday evening would only increase that possibility.