COMMENT: Look south, Manchester United fans. For your future, look to North London. Because another season under Louis van Gaal and your United will be on its way to becoming the Arsenal of the north.

The agreement is still in place. Jose Mourinho will take charge of United when Van Gaal steps aside in June. But there's a caveat. And this is where the United support enters the picture.

If Ed Woodward, the United vice-chairman exec, senses a groundswell of backing for LVG to continue, it will be the easiest and most welcome decision he's had to make. He will stick with the Dutchman.

And with the club in the FA Cup final and now a real, genuine chance of a fourth place finish, there is a growing belief the backlash of going with Van Gaal over Mourinho would be minimal.

For those in Mourinho's corner, there has been some shards of light this weekend. It seems fans are voting with their feet. At anyother club, an FA Cup final and top four finish would have supporters clamouring to renew their season tickets. But not at United. Season ticket sales are lagging behind previous years at Old Trafford. There's an apparent freeze from fans as they wait to see which way Woodward goes.

This isn't just about the identity of the man in the dugout. It's about the identity of a club and where it sees itself. What do United fans want? Glazernomics or trophies? What do you want from your manager? A winner in the form of Mourinho? Or Van Gaal, who said just last week that "expectations are too high" at Manchester United. Expectations are too high at the biggest club in the world? The biggest in sport? Three years ago, you'd be falling off your chair hearing Sir Alex Ferguson say that. But today...?

The Glazers would love to replicate the mentality of Arsenal and Stan Kroenke. Nearly enough is good enough. A regular top four finish. The odd Cup win. And the money just keeps rolling in. Those who believe in the best of Arsenal. Those who see what could be achieved. Their protests are drowned out. Or they get fed-up and buy into Everton...

This is what awaits United. Van Gaal has already has sent out his message. Those critics are asking too much. We can't achieve what you're demanding with the squad we have.

But, of course, this isn't a typical modern Manchester United squad. Expectations have been lowered by the youth and the promise of the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. United are building for the future. You can't set the bar too high. Remind you of anything, Gooners?

There's some who cling to hope that Van Gaal is building the next, great United team. That he should be allowed to it see through to the end. But nothing will change. Indeed, Van Gaal will be emboldened. His methods work. The paint-by-numbers football. The shallow squad. The battles with senior players. None of this will go away. And as sure as GNev would cover Becks, next season, those "attack, attack, attack" chants from United fans will again be heard at away grounds around the country.

You can count on one hand the games when United actually put together a decent, entertaining 90 minutes. And they've all involved either Martial or Rashford playing off the cuff. We've discussed this before, but just where will they be after a full preseason under Van Gaal? Will the spontaneity be coached out of them?

Saturday's win at Norwich City was this season in a nutshell. 0-0 at the break. United dominated possession. And before Juan Mata's 72nd minute winner, they had managed just one shot on goal. That was your typical LVG performance. Are United fans really keen to go through another season of that?

Woodward won't care. Nor the Glazers. Van Gaal, himself, talked about walking away midseason. It was Woodward who talked him around. On paper, he's on course to meet the board's expectations. A Cup and the Champions League cash. That keeps the shareholders happy. Just as it does for Kroenke and those at Arsenal.

Can you see your future, United fans...?

INJURY TIME

There was one bright point for Manchester United to come out of the great bore at Carrow Road. The football was dire, absolutely dire.

But in the post-match, Louis van Gaal offered a flash of positive news: Wayne Rooney was upset being forced to revert to a striker's role against Norwich City.

Anthony Martial's knock in the pre-match warm-up forced Van Gaal to rejigg his line-up and push his captain back into attack. A move, the manager later conceded, Rooney was unhappy with.

It seems, Rooney has settled on midfield being his immediate future. Those who believed he would rage against being withdrawn from a striker's role are being proved wrong.

The conversion has begun - and United's No10 is embracing it.