FA Cup top of Van Gaal´s wishlist

Success in the FA Cup is top priority for Louis van Gaal this season despite the Europa League offering Manchester United a return to the Champions League.

United have slipped away in the Premier League title race this season and sit six points off the top four with 12 games to go.

After finishing third in their Champions League group, United get their campaign in Europe’s secondary competition under way with a trip to Midtjylland on Thursday.

Despite a return to Europe’s top table through their league position looking unlikely, and Europa league winners progressing to the Champions League group stages, Van Gaal – a UEFA Cup winner with Ajax in 1992 – is instead focused on succeeding in a competition that he has not won before.

“That’s a personal wish,” he told a news conference. “I have won the UEFA Cup already; that’s the only argument. 

“I want to win a title in England and United have had a lot of time not winning the FA Cup.”

Van Gaal will not give up hope of European success, however, acknowledging that Europa League success will be of great importance to the club as a whole.

“For United as a club, it’s more important to win the Europa League because you can qualify for the Champions League,” he said. 

“It is difficult to win [though] because there are other difficult teams. There’s still the last 32 teams so there are a lot of rounds still.

“It is a fantastic aim for us to win this cup because Manchester United has never won this cup.”