Erik ten Hag is still reluctant to approach the away end when it might have marked the highlight of his afternoon at Bournemouth.

There was not a whiff of mutiny from the 1,304 supporters in the east stand. They chanted "United, United, United", applauded the players and serenaded Bruno Fernandes. Casemiro gifted his shirt to a young fan, having gifted space to Bournemouth's midfielders.

United's fans also proclaimed themselves as members of "Ten Hag's army" and going to Wem-ber-ley on Sunday. Hopefully, they will be there again on May 25 for the FA Cup final.

Ten Hag will not need reminding that the last time United lifted the FA Cup, their Dutch manager was sacked 50 hours later. What he may not be aware of is that Louis van Gaal was booed when he received the FA Cup from David de Gea.

The United squad were still stood in front of the Wembley royal box when it was Van Gaal's turn. The boos were not widespread but they were audible when he appeared on the big screen.

Van Gaal was in denial and delusional. His wife, Truus, knew he would be sacked before he did. "I knew Louis would be fired by Manchester United. I felt it," Truus says in the documentary Van Gaal. "We had a small boardroom there and it was always fun with the old Manchester legends, Ferguson, Bobby Charlton. We had a table there with good food and drinks.

"Suddenly, they stopped greeting us, just waved from afar. Something was wrong. It was female intuition. Then when the man (Ed Woodward) denies it, Louis accepts it. I said, 'Louis, you're going to be fired. Get wise to it.' And I slammed the door of the apartment shut."

Van Gaal admonished his wife in the aftermath of the Cup final for informing him of the BBC's report detailing his imminent sacking. This correspondent wrote three months earlier that Jose Mourinho had a gentleman's agreement to take over and several other credible stories charted Van Gaal's probable dismissal.

Even after a high-profile associate of Ed Woodward leaked the story to the BBC, Van Gaal still entered the Wembley press conference room with the FA Cup. "I show you the Cup and I don't discuss it with my friends of the media, who have already sacked me for six months," Van Gaal bragged.

Time is a great healer. When Van Gaal was on punditry duty at United's 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Anfield in October 2017, the Dutch broadcasters were positioned in front of the away section in the Anfield Road End. Van Gaal was warmly greeted. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he buried the hatchet with a Manchester-based reporter he insulted.

Wayne Rooney penned a foreword in Van Gaal's book and was the United representative on his documentary. Rooney speaks glowingly about Van Gaal, "tactically the best" manager he worked with. He was also a manager he wanted to have replaced at the end of the 2015-16 season. Rooney's preference was Ryan Giggs.

Van Gaal told Michael Carrick he would be released 11 days before the FA Cup final. De Gea intended to seek a transfer if Van Gaal stayed on. Even with the David Moyes precedent of failing to qualify for the Champions League sealing the United manager's fate, Van Gaal's head stayed in the sand.

Renato Sanches's sudden transfer from Benfica to Bayern Munich was spun as Van Gaal did not want him. That was a smokescreen as United refused to publicly undermine Van Gaal amid Mourinho's inevitable arrival. Mourinho later admitted his "late" appointment scuppered a move for Sanches.

Van Gaal was first booed when he approached the Stretford End after the listless 1-0 defeat to Southampton in January 2016. Moyes endured the ignominy of the 'Wrong one - Moyes out' banner flying overhead and, in front of the Elton John Stand, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was not still standing when he approached the away dayers at Watford. He was booed.

Ten Hag has not been subjected to such treatment. When he conducted his pre-match chat with MUTV at Stamford Bridge, he was warmly applauded. Connecting with those who trek down the M6 to Selhurst Park and the Amex Stadium would do his image no harm. Neither would throwing expendable players under the bus (Anthony Martial).

Yet there have been eerie parallels between Van Gaal and Ten Hag for most of the season. Ten Hag's press conference walk-out on Saturday was not as memorable as Van Gaal's wine-and-mince-pie valediction but he ignored an awkward question that raised United's comparable form with the Moyes season.

Failure to qualify for the Champions League could precede another FA Cup final appearance, though the odds of United lifting it for a 13th time are not as auspicious as their 1990 rematch with Crystal Palace eight years ago. Coventry are capable of unsettling them and if United have to schedule fittings for new Paul Smith suits on May 25, City have had their number in both derbies this season. Chelsea have beaten four of the top seven and are unbeaten against City and Arsenal this season.

Whatever United's result(s) at Wembley, Ten Hag is duty-bound to acknowledge their travelling supporters. It may be the last time he sees them.