10 worst moments from Van Gaal's time at Manchester United

In the end, Louis van Gaal went out on top. Sort of.

The Dutchman was, mercifully, relieved of his duties as Manchester United manager Monday, thus ending the speculation that has been rife for months - and kicked into high gear after the Red Devils' FA Cup victory Saturday, which proved to be Van Gaal's final match in charge.

Here are 10 moments that ultimately led to Van Gaal being kicked unceremoniously out the door at Old Trafford.

MK Dons debacle

United was dumped from the League Cup in 2014 by virtue of a crushing 4-0 loss to lowly MK Dons - starring one Dele Alli - and while that result itself was far from the deciding factor, it certainly kicked off Van Gaal's tenure on a sour note. The result effectively set the tone for the remainder of his time at Old Trafford, as losses to supposedly inferior clubs became something of an unfortunate theme for the Dutchman.

Welbeck's revenge

After Van Gaal assuredly claimed that Danny Welbeck wasn't of the "required standard" for a club like United, he quickly sent him packing to Arsenal. The angular attacker promptly made him look foolish by scoring against the Red Devils in March of 2015, knocking them out of the FA Cup in the process.

Disposing of Angel Di Maria

The club's failures in the transfer market are not entirely Van Gaal's burden to bear, but his brand of football undoubtedly failed to get the most out of Angel Di Maria.

The lithe Argentine arrived at Old Trafford as Britain's record signing, costing £59.7 million, but was quickly offloaded to Paris Saint-Germain at a loss of over £15 million. All he did was help PSG win a domestic treble, enjoying a season rivalled only by Mesut Ozil in terms of chance creation.

Lavish expenditure fails to impress

This is not a moment, per se, but along the same lines as his failure to integrate Di Maria into the squad was Van Gaal's struggles with handling other high-priced talent that waltzed through the door.

(Courtesy: BBC)

Anthony Martial was a smashing success, and Luke Shaw looks destined to develop into a stud at left-back, but as for the rest of those signings ... Memphis Depay is supremely talented and should bounce back from a miserable campaign, but the fact that he had such a terrible year certainly falls, at least in significant part, down to Van Gaal.

Champions League failure at the first hurdle

An 84th minute goal from Naldo saw United crash out of the Champions League group stage at the hands of Wolfsburg in December. The Red Devils consigned to a 3-2 defeat that saw them fail to advance from a cupcake group that included PSV and CSKA Moscow.

Bournemouth, Norwich losses highlight winless run

The hectic holiday schedule brought with it an extended run of futility for Van Gaal and company, as United went six Premier League matches without a win from late November of 2015 until the end of December. That stretch included consecutive losses to Bournemouth, Norwich City, and Stoke, with the Canaries' 2-1 victory signalling their first win at Old Trafford in 26 years.

Jose Mourinho hits the market

The beginning of the end, really. Jose Mourinho has long been linked with a move to Manchester United, and that speculation exploded after he was dumped by Chelsea in December with the Blues languishing below mid-table, after a torrid start to their limp title defense. Van Gaal has been forced to answer questions about the Portuguese tactician consistently since that time.

FC Midtjylland disaster

His side turned it around in the second leg, sure, but a 2-1 loss to Danish minnow FC Midtjylland in the opening leg of their Europa League Round of 32 made United the butt of endless jokes and Van Gaal the recipient of criticism from all angles; not the least of which included club legend Paul Scholes, who, shortly after the defeat, suggested that the Dutchman's tactic of holding individual meetings with players was best suited for teenagers.

Europa League exit

After overturning the aforementioned deficit against Midtjylland - thanks to the emergence of Marcus Rashford, whose season is just about the only bright spot on Van Gaal's record - a Round of 16 defeat at the hands of bitter rival Liverpool ended any hope United had of qualifying for the Champions League by virtue of winning Europe's second-tier competition.

Fifth-place finish

The FA Cup title, though a storied trophy that carries significant weight, just wasn't heavy enough to save Van Gaal's job. While he leaves the club having delivered its first piece of silverware since the departure of iconic gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson, it was Van Gaal's failure to secure the Premier League crown, or at the very least Champions League football, that was his undoing.

United haven't won the title since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement & have finished in the top four just once. #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/sw8zczhnbq
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) May 23, 2016

United held its fate firmly in its hands heading into the final two matches of the campaign, knowing that victories over West Ham and Bournemouth would see the Red Devils pip Manchester City to fourth place. They promptly lost to the Hammers in the final match ever played at the Boleyn Ground, thus missing the golden opportunity handed to them.