Manchester United’s trip to West Ham on Tuesday is season defining.
If they win this game in hand against the Hammers it will see the Red Devils leapfrog Manchester City for fourth ahead of Sunday’s final games of the season, where United play at home in a relatively straightforward tie with Bournemouth, and City travel to Swansea.
Maximum points from United’s last two games will see them steal Champions League qualification from right under the noses of their noisy neighbours, regardless of what the Sky Blues can conjure in their only remaining game in South Wales.
It’s a terrible situation for City to be in, reliant upon United slipping up to stop them from drifting into the Europa League qualification bracket.
And as much as you wouldn’t tip United to be able to pull off back-to-back wins if their lives depended on it — especially given their wildly inconsistent form this season — the fact that double wins would be at the expense of their rivals makes it all the more likely to happen. There simply couldn’t be any greater incentive for the players than to get one over on City.
If they succeed, finishing top four in the league, and reaching May 29’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace — which they should surely win — would turn what was edging towards being another disappointing season into a pretty satisfying one.
It would also ease the pressure on underfire coach Louis Van Gaal, who seemed destined to be sacked and replaced by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho in the summer.
Overnight, Van Gaal will transform from being an out-of-touch eccentric, to the genius responsible for rebuilding the club in Sir Alex Ferguson’s absence.
It’s an incredibly fine line though. And one that hinges on this game with West Ham. Lose this and United have thrown away a golden opportunity to get back on the horse, at the same time as handing a humiliating gift to their rivals. But win, and the world is suddenly their oyster.
The moral boost of playing Champions League football can’t be stressed highly enough. As much as not being in the Champions League next season would set City up for a dampened start under new coach Pep Guardiola, it would also do untold good for United going ahead. There’s a certain shine about qualifying that will give either side a mental advantage over their foe.
Therefore, I don’t think it’s an over-exaggeration — especially given the City factor — that if United stuff it up from here, Van Gaal is finished. But if they hold out, the seemingly inevitable arrival of Mourinho at Old Trafford could be indefinitely put on hold.
