Saturday's semi-final at Wembley is the
penultimate step in salvaging otherwise
disappointing campaigns for both clubs but will
it really be enough to satisfy fans and owners?
The FA Cup has a capacity to rescue reigns. It
can alter perceptions, rebranding managers
from underachievers to serial achievers. If Louis
van Gaal doubts that, he need only cast a look at
the Old Trafford directors' box most home
games to see Sir Alex Ferguson. The first of his
38 Manchester United trophies came in the FA
Cup in 1990.
If Roberto Martinez wonders about its
transformative qualities, he only has to ask the
members of Everton 's greatest ever team –
Graeme Sharp, Peter Reid and Kevin Ratcliffe –
who are usually found at Goodison Park on a
matchday. As they can testify, the late Howard
Kendall was under pressure and unpopular
before Everton kickstarted a glorious spell by
winning the FA Cup in 1984.
But that was then. This is now. It is a sign of the
slipping status of the FA Cup that winning it no
longer automatically renders a season a
success. It used to bring a celebration of the
manager responsible. Now it prompts the
question if it would even save them.
Martinez accomplished a unique double in 2013
when Wigan won the FA Cup and were
relegated. He could secure another unusual
bittersweet feat if he lifts silverware and is
sacked. From the wreckage of what seemed a
dreadful campaign, Van Gaal could yet have two
triumphs, in the shape of a top-four finish and a
trophy, but even that might not be enough to
guarantee his continued presence in
Manchester.
Everton versus United is a semi-final that could
prove a meeting of minds. Few fanbases are
more unhappy than these two. The difference is
that the United supporters have entered into an
uneasy, unofficial truce with Van Gaal, at least
as long as Champions League qualification and
FA Cup glory are feasible and he is fielding
youngsters, while some of their Everton
counterparts are in open revolt. United go to
Wembley in good form, after recording five wins
in six games, Everton in awful shape after no
victories in six and a Merseyside derby
thrashing that even the uber-positive Martinez
branded "embarrassing".
The reality is that defeat would push him closest
to the brink. United's campaign would not end
with a Wembley defeat. Everton's would. The
combination of successive seasons of
underachievement, a wealthy new owner and a
disgruntled set of supporters could prove fatal
for Martinez.
And yet it is worth considering the context.
Everton have not won the FA Cup – or any
trophy – since 1995. United have progressed
beyond the days when lifting it would
automatically make their year one to savour.
Everton have not. This is the longest that they
have gone without an honour since a 24-year
spell between 1939 and 1963, and even that is
partly explainable by World War II. They have
never gone 21 consecutive seasons without
silverware in their 138-year history.
Martinez's Everton have underperformed
grievously in a Premier League in which they
had the potential to come in the top six but he
has defined himself as the anti-David Moyes.
His predecessor was a specialist in top-eight
finishes but found honours elusive. Martinez is
more inconsistent and has a track record in
brinkmanship, as some of his escapes from
relegation at Wigan show. If, after dicing with
disaster, he beats United and then either Watford
or Crystal Palace, it would be hard to brand this
season a failure. However vocal his critics are, it
would be harsh to dismiss him.
In contrast, it is impossible to brand any year in
which United finish outside the top four a
success unless they venture a long way into the
Champions League. Even ending an FA Cup
drought that dates back to 2004 should not alter
that. It would, however, serve as a reminder that
Van Gaal was one of the great trophy-gatherers
of his generation, a man whose methods
brought rewards in Holland, Spain and Germany.
What he has not brought, and what the next
month cannot camouflage, is progress. United
may yet end up in the same position – fourth –
but that would be a surprise. They would get
there with fewer points and fewer goals, after
more spending and after failing in two European
competitions. It is little wonder that the spectre
of Jose Mourinho looms large over Van Gaal. If
Paris Saint-Germain want him, the Portuguese's
camp may pressure United into making a
decision even before May's final.
It is worth remembering that, when Martinez
won the FA Cup with Wigan in 2013, the runner-
up, Roberto Mancini, was sacked. The Italian
would have been fired even if Manchester City
had won. They were second in the league, too. It
marked a tipping point in the top clubs'
relationship with the oldest cup competition of
all. Success in it is a bonus, not the be all and
end all.
The finances of the game have changed. So has
the framework. Next season's United manager
can expect stiffer competition from Pep
Guardiola and Antonio Conte, while Jurgen Klopp
will be in his first full season at Anfield. Van
Gaal turns 65 in August and it is difficult to
argue that a medal would make him the man to
combat them. Winning the FA Cup was the start
of something for Ferguson. Even if Van Gaal
followed suit, it ought to be the end of
something for him.
0 comments:
Post a Comment