It was, once again, another timely shot in the arm for Louis van Gaal. Whenever the Manchester United manager is hovering close to the precipice, his players have usually managed to pull out a result for him. The Dutchman seems to have more lives than a cat, but even among this bulging canon of lifelines he has been granted, last night’s victory over West Ham United in a frenetic FA Cup quarter-final replay felt particularly significant.

If Van Gaal can somehow conjure a Cup triumph, and only Everton now stand between United and a place in the final at Wembley on May 21, it may well prove enough to save him at Old Trafford, regardless of whether the club miss out on Champions League qualification or the alternative managerial options.