Manchester United look a pale shadow of their former selves. Here is everything you need to know why United is on the decline.
Alex Ferguson remains the most successful manager in the history of Manchester United, 12 years after he retired from his role.
Ferguson was appointed manager of Manchester United in November 1986. During his 26 years with Manchester United, he won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles. He was knighted in the 1999 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to the game.
Even though the team was expected to have some challenges upon his exit, the more than a decade of troubles on and off the pitch has affected results. Pulse Sports brings you everything you need to know about Manchester United after Alex Ferguson left.
Post-Alex Ferguson era: 3 key failures that have kept Manchester United stuck
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1. Wrong managerial choices
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Ruben Amorim is looking beyond Dorgu’s errors against Ipswich.
Ruben Amorim during Manchester United’s defeat by Crystal Palace (Credit: Imago)
The exit of the Scottish was expected to pave the way for smooth transition but that has not been the case. Since Alex Ferguson left Manchester United, there have been 10 different permanent or interim head coaches at the club, including the current manager, Ruben Amorim.
Ferguson preferred David Moyes to pick the pieces of this team and share his own vision but his countryman only lasted less than a year. Moyes was in charge of United for 10 months (July 2013-April 2014), the third-shortest managerial stint in United history and the shortest in 82 years, despite calls from several respected ex-Manchester United players such as Denis Law and David Beckham calling for Moyes to be given more time at the club. This move made Manchester United to become a revolving door of coaches.
Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: (Interim Manager), Ralf Rangnick: (Interim Manager), Erik ten Hag, Ruud van Nistelrooy: (Interim Manager), Rúben Amorim: (Current Manager), Ryan Giggs: (Interim Manager) and Michael Carrick have had a feel of the hot seat and most of them left prematurely because of poor results.
It can be argued that current coach Amorim faces the toughest task of the ongoing rebuild at the club. In his three-month spell so far, the Red Devils are languishing in 15th position with a meagre 333 points. They are closer to entering the relegation dogfight than challenging for the top four. Manchester United are into a period of relative decline moving through a succession of managers.
2. The boardroom mistakes
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the minority shareholder at Manchester United
Footballing failure has cost Man United staff their jobs. The lessons for United may be unpleasant. How did they get here? The Glazers, who are the majority shareholders, lumped debt on the club, currently over £700m, while over two decades they have paid more than £1bn in interest and refinancing costs, and now a rise in interest rates could add to their annual repayments.
Now they are in a world where Sir Jim Ratcliffe, (minority shareholder) paid above the share price on the stock exchange for his stake in the club and has sought to cut costs, seemingly modelling his approach on Elon Musk wielding the axe to departments of the American government, while bringing in ever increasing numbers of his own hires according to the Independent.
For the fourth time in seven seasons, United are not even competing in the Champions League; that loss of revenue was compounded by crashing out in the group stages last season. Fail to qualify for it next season – and their only remaining route is via winning the Europa League – and the value of some of their commercial deals will drop.
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Their struggles in the Premier League come at a separate cost. Each finishing position is worth around £3m; stay in 15th and that means a £21m drop on last season’s underachievement of eighth. Amorim’s many defeats will affect the turnover. United might be higher up the table had they kept Ruud van Nistelrooy on as caretaker.
There is, as the Portuguese accepted, their terrible record in the transfer market, rendered worse by a habit of paying what a former executive at the club called ‘the United tax’, way over the odds: look at the £85m fee for Antony or the £72m cost of Rasmus Hojlund. Amorim at least accepts some responsibility. Erik ten Hag spent £600m and always seemed to think he should be given more money.
3. Lack of a Defined Philosophy
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is one of the Premier League’s top earners || Imago
The club has struggled to establish a clear footballing philosophy, leading to inconsistent tactics and a lack of identity on the pitch. Ferguson’s philosophy as Manchester United manager emphasized a relentless winning mentality, team cohesion, and adaptability, fostering a culture of success and resilience.
Ferguson was known for his ability to adapt his tactics and formations based on the opponent and the specific match situation. He believed in creating a clear hierarchy within the team, where players understood their roles and responsibilities. Ferguson instilled in his players the expectation to win every game, creating a culture where losing was not an option.
12 years later, United are on a different path. Player power has been the team’s main undoing for the past seven years as the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have caused unrest in the dressing room, and Amorim has been ruthless in this department. He sent Rashford packing and ended up joining Aston Villa albeit on loan, while Sancho whose troubles began under Ten Hag, is at Chelsea.
Players have questioned the tactics deployed by the coaches. While it’s difficult to pinpoint specific Manchester United players who are openly questioning Ruben Amorim’s tactics, reports suggest that some players have privately discussed the need for a tactical “tweak” and that Gary Neville has voiced concerns about Amorim’s ability to get his ideas across to the squad. Amorim has vowed to stick by his tactical approach, despite the club’s poor form, stating that he believes in his system and that players will adapt.
The journey back to the top is not an easy one for Man United but an essential one. Patience, resilience and proper decision making is needed to awaken the sleeping giant.