The FA Cup offers Louis van Gaal opportunity but it should not bring him salvation.

At Wembley on Saturday Van Gaal’s Manchester United face a weak Everton team suffering from the kind of form and confidence crisis with which they themselves are familiar. United should win. They are quite rightly favourites for this season’s competition.

Not surprisingly, Van Gaal is clinging to this like a drowning man clings to driftwood. He says his team’s movement towards the final is indicative of overall progress. Whether he actually believes that or not we do not know but if he does he is wrong.

Louis van Gaal was in high spirits whilst overseeing training but he should not have his contract renewed

Skipper Wayne Rooney takes instruction from the Manchester United boss before their Wembley date

In the last three years Aston Villa, Hull City and Wigan Athletic have reached FA Cup finals. Wigan had a particularly memorable day as they won it against Manchester City in 2013. Nevertheless, all these clubs — with the possible exception of Hull — will play their football outside of the Barclays Premier League next season.

The FA Cup can enrich a season but it cannot hide weakness and fundamental inadequacy. United, under Van Gaal, have both which is why he should be released from his contract and thanked when this season ends.

United have played well at times in the competition this season. Away at Derby County and Shrewsbury, they were professional and sound. At West Ham in a quarter-final replay everyone presumed they would lose, they were sharp, quick and decisive.

This has not been the norm this season, however. On the whole, Van Gaal’s United team are not this. Instead, they are slow, predictable and ponderous.

Jesse Lingard affords himself a smile while stretched out on the turf as he gears up for Saturday's match

Spain team-mates Juan Mata (left) and keeper David de Gea share a warm embrace during the session

FA CUP SEMI-FINALS Saturday April 23 Everton vs Manchester United 17.15 Sunday April 24 Crystal Palace vs Watford 16.00 * Both semi-finals played at Wembley Advertisement

United supporters — particularly the ones who have watched the team during and before the glorious Sir Alex Ferguson years — are not fooled by Van Gaal. They are not impressed by his team’s football or indeed his attempts to explain it away.

On the whole they are a loyal bunch and United’s support is deep enough that there will always be queues to replace those who decide to stay away.

But the empty seats spotted at Old Trafford during Wednesday night’s victory over Crystal Palace were indicative of thinning patience. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that a number of executive box holders are considering another way to spend their money next season.

Perhaps the worst thing a manager or a team can do to a football supporter is bore him. Van Gaal’s United have done this. They have regressed in to themselves to such a degree that very little of note happens on match day at Old Trafford.

Van Gaal's United have not only failed to to pick up meaningful trophies but their playing style has been dull

Even if United go on to lift the FA Cup the Dutchman should not be in charge at Old Trafford next season

UNITED ROAD TO WEMBLEY Third round Man United 1-0 Sheffield United Fourth round Derby 1-3 Man United Fifth round Shrewsbury 0-3 Man United Quarter-final Man United 1-1 West Ham Quarter-final replay West Ham 1-2 Man United Advertisement

Some United followers have become so anaesthetised by it that they have started to laugh at themselves. This used to be the preserve of those across town at Manchester City. United were always too busy winning to find anything funny.

Now, though, City are preparing to reinvent themselves again under Pep Guardiola next season while Van Gaal hangs on and hopes for a reprieve from a United board concerned enough to flirt seriously with his one-time Barcelona junior Jose Mourinho.

In the run-up to today’s game, Van Gaal has spoken of an FA Cup triumph representing a platform for the future. It would be a more convincing argument were there signs of joined up thinking in terms of tactics or transfer policy at a club that has completely lost its way since Ferguson and former chief executive David Gill stood down.

If Van Gaal were to remain on the back of a Cup success or a late emergence in to the Premier League’s top four, United will risk total paralysis.

After Van Gaal succeeded David Moyes the Reds have not followed Ryan Giggs' plea to play like United

Another of the Dutch veteran’s habits is to talk about the way that he has promoted young players at the club. He is clever enough to know that this plays nicely to United’s past.

It is disingenuous, though, to talk as though the promotion of players such as Marcus Rashford and Timothy Fosu-Menash has been part of some carefully-conceived plan. It has not. It has happened because poor transfer planning and a rush of injuries left Van Gaal with absolutely no choice.

The club can feel pleased that it discovered, nurtured and developed a player like Rashford. Van Gaal, on the other hand, should merely feel very relieved that he was there waiting for him when Anthony Martial strained a hamstring in the warm up of a Europa League tie back in late February.

Last summer, Van Gaal’s belief was that his team’s goals would come from Wayne Rooney and Martial with some supplementary help from the subsequently disappointing Memphis Depay. Rashford was not in that equation and was not in last summer’s USA tour party.

The promotion of Marcus Rashford has been more accidental than part of some carefully-conceived plan

United's next generation, (L-R) Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Rashford and Lingard, share a joke during training

Last season it was Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair on whom Van Gaal hung his hat. Blackett is now on loan at Celtic while McNair is in United’s reserves.

If all this sounds a little sour on a day when United are at Wembley then so be it. It is merely an objective assessment of a once great manager who continues to find himself utterly out of step with what his club needs.

It is more than two years since United sacked Van Gaal’s predecessor David Moyes. That day Ryan Giggs stood before the first-team squad and urged them to return to the front-foot, ambitious and aggressive style of United lore.

‘Play like Manchester United,’ said Giggs.