The crowd booed. Louis van Gaal took to the microphone to thank Manchester United supporters for their "unconditional support."
It brought to mind the Groucho Marx line: "Next time I see you, remind me not to talk to you." Ryan Giggs looked on wistfully, a walking cheekbone, silent like Groucho's brother Harpo, perpetually wearing a look of quiet bemusement. Hold a mirror up to Giggs, and the average Manchester United supporter stares back. Both are miserable.
If Van Gaal wasn’t quite sure of the importance of Saturday’s FA Cup final, which recreates the classic 1990 meeting between United and Crystal Palace, Tuesday night’s rearranged final game of the Premier League season against Bournemouth underlined it in permanent marker.