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The FA Cup is there for Manchester United’s takingThe Manchester United of 2014 is slowly showing signs of emulating the spirit of the side under Sir Alex Ferguson. Although their play has been far from convincing, they have been consistently grinding out results. Manchester United’s recent record has been a case of the glass half empty, glass half full.Whether you look at it from the brighter perspective where they’ve lost only once in the last 14 games or whether you look at it from a bad light that they’ve won just twice in the last six matches, it ultimately boils down to your expectations from the team but one thing everyone can unanimously agree on is that a club like Manchester United can do much better. This is indeed turning out to be a strange season for the Old Trafford faithful. From the embarrassing 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in the League Cup and a 5-3 loss against Leicester City in the Premier League to their impressive victories over teams like Arsenal and Tottenham, there is an air of unpredictability surrounding this new Manchester United side under Van Gaal. Despite spending more than 150 million to bring in Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw, the team is yet to truly hit its stride.However, the recent upsets have opened up a window of opportunity for the club, especially to win the elusive FA Cup which has been missing from their trophy cabinet for quite a while.They may have played out a disappointing draw against Cambridge United, but they did not crash out of the tournament like some of their other high-profile counterparts. It could also go a long way in dispelling some of the negativity surrounding Van Gaal’s first season at the helm.Let us take a look at some of the reasons why Manchester United should be a prime contender for the Cup this season:
#1 A 10-year gap
It is indeed surprising that Manchester United despite being the joint record holders of the FA Cup along with Arsenal, having won it a record 11 times, last won the tournament in the 2003-2004 season.
The parallels between Manchester United’s drought in the FA Cup and Arsenal’s drought in well, every tournament (which was broken last year with their victory in the FA Cup) are uncanny. The last time Arsenal won the Premier League with the historic ‘Invincibles’ was the same season when Manchester United last won the FA Cup. Maybe it’s just destiny.
On a serious note, a 10-year drought in the FA Cup is unbecoming for a prestigious club like Manchester United who have been a dominant force in the Premier League and Europe. This is one record they must be working on setting right.
#2 Thanking the other high profile upsets
The FA Cup has always known to be a great leveller in English football. The FA Cup folklore is filled with tales of underdogs defying odds to reach the latter stages and even emerging victorious. But the bizarre results we witnessed recently which are a part of the charm of the tournament nonetheless raised many eyebrows.
League One side Bradford City came from behind to register the shock of the season by beating Chelsea 4-2 and even Manchester City succumbed to a 2-0 loss against League one side Middlesbrough. The other big team who could have posed a challenge Tottenham were also humbled by Middlesbrough.
That leaves Manchester United in a very promising situation. If they can emerge victorious against Middlesbrough in the replay, they will have an enticing prospect of facing relatively smaller teams barring Arsenal who narrowly beat Brighton3-2 and Liverpool who will also have a replay match against Bolton, to bring the title back to Old Trafford.
#3 Only the Premier League and FA Cup to take part in
I do realize that this is one of the most clichéd arguments to be used for teams challenging for any honours who are not a participating in the elite tournament. But it can be argued that it does lessen the burden and pressure on the players. When a team is normally challenging for top honours domestically and in Europe, the FA Cup can sometimes become an afterthought or an opportunity to give a run-out to lesser used players.
This is a major reason why Manchester United despite dominating the Premier League and having a consistent record in Europe for the past decade have not had a good record in the FA Cup and the European competitions may also be why Chelsea and Manchester City crashed out recently.
However, with Manchester United having only an outside chance of challenging for the Premier League, already eliminated from the League Cup and with no pressure of the Champions League, they can turn their attentions to the FA Cup to win their first silverware in two years. And mind you, Manchester City’s recent upturn in fortunes started with their FA Cup victory in 2011.
#4 The pedigree of Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal arrived at Manchester United with a big reputation having just led an unfancied Dutch team to a respectable third place finish and having a stellar record at clubs like Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
His start at Manchester United putting it mildly, has been modest. The constant tinkering with the starting eleven and formations (partly due to injuries) and his insistence on sticking with a three-man defence have caused some worries, especially among the fans. There have also been accusations that he has been given some leeway, considering David Moyes had a similar points tally at this stage of the season.
Although it does seem unlikely that the United fans will turn on their manager as the team are in transition, a victory in the FA Cup will go a long way in soothing the nerves of the fans as well as the administration.
It was just last season that Arsene Wenger nearly quit Arsenal but made a U-turn after winning the FA Cup.
#5 Players need to prove a point
The managers have always been convenient scapegoats for the problems of a team, but it is also up to the players to step up to the plate and prove themselves. Barring some question marks on the defensive end, the team is full of high-profile players who should be able to perform. However, it also has to be kept in mind that the manager alone cannot work magic. He needs the players to understand his vision, adapt to it quickly and prove it in the field.
Players of the quality of Di Maria, Wayne Rooney, Van Persie, Falcao and Juan Mata should be steamrolling opponents and being the top professionals that they are, adapting to Van Gaal’s tactics cannot used an excuse with half the season already gone. Plus the transfer mills are running over-time linking a list of defenders with the club and even if one decent defender does arrive, they will be better equipped at the defensive end.
Now that they have a comparatively easier route to the FA Cup, they should be able to pull it off. Their goalless draw against Cambridge should serve them as a reminder that no team can be taken lightly and that should help them be more focused for the upcoming matches, granted they beat the minnows.
So Manchester United, courtesy of the bizarre results and upsets really have a big chance of holding aloft the trophy at Wembley.
