With the Premier League wrapped up after nine entertaining months the top four is written in stone and Manchester United have their place in it.

Manager Louis van Gaal can be proud that despite a season full of injuries and the settling in of several new players he has led his team back into the Champions League.

United only lost ten games, the mass majority of which came on their travels, and players like Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini showed that with the right coaching they can be trusted to lead United’s attack in midfield.

But that is frankly all of the positives that can be said about the Red Devils this year. The very public falls from grace of Radamel Falcao and Angel di Maria, both signed by the Dutchman, have meant that United have struggled at times to score goals and create meaningful chances. Fortunately Mata, Fellaini and Captain Wayne Rooney have stayed reliable but supporters of course want to see their new, expensive signings make the kind of positive impact that Alexis Sanchez has made at Arsenal.

After all supporters are expecting the club to finish even higher than fourth come next May with some daring to dream of taking home the title. On the basis of United’s performances this season winning the league does seem more than a little far-fetched with this year’s winners Chelsea set to get even stronger especially considering some of the talents they have been associated with this summer. Manchester City and Arsenal will once again be in the mix and the teams just behind United will make the race for fourth a stressful one.

You can’t deny that Van Gaal has done well in his first season in English football but he will not receive the same praise of supporters if the next campaign is similar to this one. Many non-United fans have been critical of the return the club has gotten after spending so many millions on players. Players who need to show that they are world-class from the very start of the next campaign or face never-ending abuse from football fans and the media alike.

The players will get an earful but no one will be judged harsher than Van Gaal. Every signing, starting XI, press conference and even minor decision will be scrutinised and probably compared to the Sir Alex Ferguson era. United will need to not only pick up points but must also play the attractive football that their fans demand to see.

Then there is the additional pressures of playing in the Champions League. No one expects them to actually win the competition but supporters will hope United make it at least as far as the other three English clubs.

Louis Van Gaal has a wealth of experience from previously managing at demanding high-profile clubs like Barcelona and Bayern Munich so you wouldn’t expect the pressure to really get to him. But if the club wants to continue attracting top names to the red half of Manchester then next season has to be the start of a golden era. A return to challenging for titles. Anything less just won’t be accepted and Van Gaal’s head may end up on the chopping block.

[ad_pod id='ffc-video' align='center']

[n5lbanner type="london"]

[ad_pod id='ricco' align='center']

[interaction id=“none”]