Same Old Song, Different Verse
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Once again it’s another season where Man United are in complete and total disarray. The football played, similarly to the past 6 years, has been excruciatingly poor, the fan base is deeply divided and it’s virtually impossible that United will win the league or even qualify for the Champions League.
Statistically, the club is on its worst run of form since 1989/90 and currently sit in 12th place in the table with 9 points, just two points above the relegation zone, and 15 points from Liverpool at the top. All of this comes after spending an estimate of £840.15 million since Sir Alex Ferguson retired which illustrates the calamitous state of the club at this present moment in time.
In recent years, Man United have copied Chelsea by hiring and firing managers almost on a yearly basis. Since 2013, United have hired David Moyes along with Ryan Giggs (albeit briefly), Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho and now the club legend, Ole Gunnar Solskjær. However, based on their current dismal form, it’s highly likely that the 20-time English champions will fire their fourth manager in just 6 years.
After miraculously slaying PSG back in March, United have played 23 games and have a record of 6 wins, 6 draws and 11 losses. To add insult to injury, Solskjær has lost seven times since being permanently appointed as the manager back in March and only Southampton (8), Brighton (9) and Watford (10) have lost more games.
Furthermore, United are one of just five clubs along with Scunthorpe, Barnsley, Yeovil and Tottenham who have failed to win away from home since March in one of England’s top four divisions. Solskjær now has a win rate of 48.72%, the lowest out of all the managers in the Post-Fergie era. Impatience is spreading swiftly like wildfire throughout the club’s fan base and every week, more of them are calling for the Norwegian to be put to the sword.
It’s anyone’s guess as to who the next manager will be if the Red Devils do decide to terminate the contract of the “baby faced assassin”. However, the real question is will it even make a difference? Rumour has it that Mauricio Pochettino is the favourite in becoming their next manager but irrespective of who their next gaffer is, I am certain that it will most likely end in failure. Some may argue that this is a very premature statement but history is on my side. Firing the manager will only cure the symptoms as opposed to the actual disease itself.
Like them or hate them, both van Gaal and Mourinho are very successful managers despite them having a very rigid, pragmatic style of play. The Dutchman won titles with Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and has been both a Champions League winner and finalist. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ has won league titles with Chelsea, Real Madrid, Porto and Inter and is also a two-time Champions League winner. So, what common denominator do they have? Many, but both of them failing at Man United is definitely one of them.
Out of all the clubs that they have managed, this is the one where they failed comprehensively. They both signed the crème de la crème of footballers; Radamel Falcao, Ángel di Maria, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alexis Sánchez, Anthony Martial, you name it. Nonetheless, despite spending a combined total of around £667.65 million, the closest that they came to winning the league was in 2017/18 where they finished 19 points behind Man City in second place.
Both managers have spoken about their failures since parting ways with the Red Devils, and the theme is more-or-less the same: Manchester United are not being run by the right people. Instead, they are being run as a corporation rather than a football club. In other words, the problem starts right at the top. The blame for United’s colossal demise therefore lies at the feet of none other than the Glazers and Ed Woodward.
The Americans have drained approximately £1 billion from the club since their notorious takeover back in May 2005 and have shown little to no interest in United’s on-field affairs. In contrast, Sheikh Mansour has invested £1.3 billion into Man City since September 2008 and the gap between the two clubs is gargantuan to say the very least.
Since August 2013, the “noisy neighbours” have won 8 trophies, three of them being the league title whereas United have only won three pieces of silverware. The two clubs have played each other 13 times and the Red Devils have beaten their local rivals on just four occasions however the champions have been victorious over their neighbours seven times, four of those wins have been at Old Trafford. Shocking, but it gets worse. From 2013/14 to 2018/19, City accumulated a combined total of 507 points, 91 more than United, plus the Blues finished roughly 16 points ahead on average during that time.
These are incredibly damning statistics that ought to cause every United fan across the globe to convulse and tremble. Be that as it may, as long as the money keeps pouring in the Glazers will continue turning a blind eye to the club’s abominable form.
On the other hand, Ed Woodward, despite being commercially savvy, is incredibly naïve in football matters. He has failed as the executive vice-chairman to execute a successful long-term plan for the Reds and more often than not has also dilly-dallied around transfers, signed the wrong players, undermined managers and made poor decisions. He is quite simply a man without a plan.
Time and time again, he’s seen in the stands glowering and staring disconsolately as his team endure more humiliation. It’s evident that he himself has no idea what to do next. But notwithstanding his abject failures, he will remain in his position. Why? Because he keeps the money coming in through the acquisition of several sponsors worldwide.
In the eyes of the Glazers, he’s an enormous asset. The figures speak volumes, just 11 days ago United announced a club-record revenue of £627.1 million, an increase of 6.3% from September 2018. With this in mind, there’s absolutely no way that the Glazers will give their golden boy his marching orders.
In the 6 years since the departure of both Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, Man United have fallen significantly behind City along with Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal. It’s also possible that Leicester and West Ham will be added to that list this season, which for devoted United fans, is some serious salt into the wound and a colossal fall from grace.
Regardless of who the manager is at Old Trafford, it’s crystal clear that the club will continue to down slide. This means that there will be no Champions League football, league titles or silverware and as the rot gets bigger, it will also mean less sponsors and big name signings which in turn means less money. Then, and only then, the Glazers will act swiftly but by that point it will be too late. If the people at the top don’t act rapidly, United will fall apart like a Jenga tower: slowly at first and then messily all at once.
All in all, the Glazers and Ed Woodward heading for the exit door will be best for the club. Man United initially had what seemed to be a common cold but as the years have gone by it’s now turned into a serious virus. The longer it’s left, the greater it will become and if this happens then the club could possibly end up on life-support. Thus, it’s imperative that action is taken sooner rather than later.
Edits made by Lisa Berrie
