MANCHESTER UNITED and their millions of fans worldwide had high hopes at the beginning of the season, with a number of new faces on board after a multi-million pound spending spree.
The Red Devils were back in the Champions League, Louis van Gaal had been lured to Old Trafford and, after a dismal 2014-15 campaign, things were on the up again.
How wrong we all were!
Bundled out of the Champions League at the group stage, Premier League title hopes long gone and the team playing a dreary, uninspiring style of football that bears little resemblance to United teams of the past, it has been anything but positive.
Despite this continuing fall from grace, former United star David Beckham believes the season can still be saved by winning the FA Cup.
Speaking to TalkSport, who won 10 major honours at Old Trafford, including a Treble in 1999 – said:
“It has been a disappointing season so far – obviously because of the performances and the way we have played in certain games.
“But any silverware at the end of the year or any good run in any competition is successful.
“Unless you win everything at Man United as fan and as a player you never think it is going to be enough.
“But at the end of a year where there has been a lot of criticism and the performances haven’t been as good, to come away and be in an FA Cup final – there is nothing you enjoy more than going down to London, getting ready in your FA Cup suit and playing in these games.”
While any silverware is always welcome, we don’t think the FA Cup – in a competition very few take seriously nowadays – is enough given what United have spent. Perhaps victory at Wembley in May would lift the grade from a D to a C but that’s about it.
The targets at the beginning of the season would have been to get beyond the group stage in Europe’s elite club competition and to make progress in the Premier League – meaning at the very minimum a top four finish.
Despite being drawn in a relatively friendly Champions League group, United flopped miserably and, as things stand, they look likely to miss out altogether next season.
Arguably the club are in as bad a state, if not worse, than when David Moyes was axed and, while winning the FA Cup would represent a positive end to the season, it would not fool anyone into thinking this has been a successful campaign for the men from Old Trafford.
United fans, is this a harsh assessment, do you agree with Becks or is this season beyond saving?
—–
Click here to check out Football Advisor
