Manchester United have been far from returning to their former level of success since Sir Alex Ferguson’s time and have been steadily declining, with the best records now almost gone. The team is no longer a team that everyone respects and fears, and even the younger teams know how to win at Old Trafford, and the middle-class teams are no longer afraid of it.
One of the recurring problems at United in this continuous decline is the problem between the manager and the players he has brought in.
After Sir Alex Ferguson left, there was a deal to sign a player like Toni Kroos, but when Moyes was sacked, it all ended. Fellaini and Mata were the only exceptional signings he made, and Zaha had to be let go. After Moyes was sacked, a veteran manager like Van Gaal was brought in, but the players were brought in not by the manager but by the club’s incompetent board. So, even though famous players came in, it didn’t work out with Van Gaal. This is evident in the problem between Di Maria and Van Gaal. When Van Gaal left, it was not his choice, but a collection of players who would follow his preferences, and it didn’t work out well under Mourinho.
Under Mourinho, players like Bastian Schweinsteiger and others from Van Gaal’s time didn’t work out, so they had to sell players and bring new players. Mourinho’s dislike of Anthony Martial, who was brought in by Van Gaal, is a clear example of this problem. Mourinho himself made the mistake of replacing Mkhitaryan with Sanchez, who was a good fit for him.
When Mourinho left, players like Pogba and Matic remained at the club, and Solskjaer, who replaced him, continued with those players. Fred also arrived under Mourinho, but he was forced to play as a number 6 instead of his rightful number 8, and he was forced to use McTominay as a number 6, which is not a number 6 at all. These problems still persist.
The board, which had brought in players like Morgan Schneiderlin and Fela O instead of the players they wanted under Van Gaal, cannot be left out of the fact that instead of looking for a player to play as a number 6 under Mourinho, they brought in Fred, and players like Herrera were offered contracts at the last minute, which led to the loss of players. The board led by Ed Woodward is much more than just incompetent.
The same thing happened under Eric Tendulkar. Players brought in under pressure from the coach, as per the coach’s wishes, do not work, The players that the team likes are still struggling because they are not performing well. I want to point out an obvious point here.
The team that Sir Alex left was a champion, but it needs to be rebuilt and strengthened. Sir Alex was able to squeeze out players because of his good individual management, but Moyes, who is not as influential as Sir Alex, cannot do that. So what should have been done was to provide Moyes with players who would be compatible with him. Moyes did not get that support and was satisfied with Fellaini and Mata.
Van Gaal, who took over from Moyes, is a possession-oriented coach. He is a strong player who uses a back three and wing-backs. So a coach who plays like Moyes, who plays like a traditional coach, does not work with the old squad that he left. So he brings in players who can play the ball. When he brings them back, the director of football, The lack of a technical director meant that Van Gaal was also sacked and Mourinho was appointed. Mourinho was a defensive manager and he needed players who were tough and hard-working. So, the tactical changes meant that players had to change again. When Mourinho left, Solskjaer came in and what he tried to do was to introduce a counter-attacking style.
When Solskjaer left, Rennes came in and Rennes tried to introduce a pressing style of play, but it didn’t work. He himself was only a caretaker manager. Then Ten Hag was appointed. Under Ten Hag, players like Bruno had to be re-trained in Solskjaer’s counter-attacking style of play. When the necessary players were brought in, it wasn’t Woodward, but John Martín and his team were also incredibly incompetent. They were overpriced and didn’t work.
So it was clear that United needed a coach who could implement the style of play that the technical director had set out for them, and a board that could accurately and precisely select the players that the coach needed. Can Serge Ratcliffe and his board do the same? The current manager, Amorin Crowe, is the man who won the golden crown at Manchester United.
Can we take them back to the old days? Will they have to say goodbye to Old Trafford with a defeat like the managers after Ferguson?