Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal backed to come good amid mounting pressure

Manchester United owners the Glazer family have been urged to give manager Louis van Gaal time to succeed at Old Trafford following the club's dismal exit from the FA Cup.

Defeat to Arsenal ended the club's realistic hopes of claiming silverware in Van Gaal's first season in charge, while a return to the Champions League is not yet guaranteed with 10 games of the season remaining.

Reports have suggested Van Gaal has five games to save his United career, starting with the visit of League Cup runners-up Tottenham Hotspur, before matches against Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea.

The tough run of fixtures will dictate whether United will finish in the Premier League top four, a relentless period of fixtures that comes after the club spent £150m ($224m) in the 2014 summer transfer window.

But fellow Dutchman and former Chelsea assistant Henk ten Cate says the Glazers must give the 63-year-old leeway and time to exert his style on United's current crop.

"I think everyone feels pressure at some point in your life. This is the moment for him to feel pressure. I know him well and he is that kind of guy who doesn't just go for result, he wants his teams to play good football. He has proved that in the past," he said.

"Right now at Manchester United it is not that good. The way they are playing is absolutely not good. But it is not the style of Van Gaal.

"I think you have to give him time because, for me, he is one of the best coaches there is. I worked closely with him for one year when I was going through the stages to get my coaching licence. I saw what he was doing and probably the only thing he has to do is get used to the way of playing in England.

"Van Gaal is the kind of man who is doing a lot of the training field and he is working his socks off. In the English competitions because of the number of games maybe he should try a little less harder. During the training sessions you have to take the foot off the pedal.

"If the owners of the club gave him that much confidence and that much money to spend, I do not think it is a good thing to say goodbye after one season because it is starting to become his team. He needs a little more time but I am almost positive that he is going to surprise Britain with his [style of] football."