The Manchester United Problem
As the final whistle blew on a cloudy day at the London Stadium, the storm had finally reached a climax on the Manchester United sideline. The flood of criticism began mere seconds after Manchester United manager, Erik Ten Hag, shook hands with opposing West Ham manager, Julen Lopetegui, after yet another defeat for the Red Devils. Ten Hag only infuriated Manchester United fans further with his blaming of officials and bad luck rather than taking any blame himself. NBC Sports pundit, Robbie Mustoe, said about the defeat, “It’s astonishing how many chances, especially tap-ins, they miss. You know how I feel about Erik Ten Hag, he would have been gone in the summer.” Former Arsenal player, Lee Dixon, added, “A few weeks ago I could see something, [it’s] gone again. I don’t see anything changing [under Ten Hag].” Former Manchester United star, Gary Neville, said on Ten Hag’s season so far, “The fact they’re [Manchester United] fourteenth is unacceptable.” The following day, Ten Hag was greeted at Manchester United’s training ground by the hierarchy at the club and consequently removed from his duties as manager. Now the question remains, as it has been continuously since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, what is next for Manchester United?
To understand the mess Manchester United is in today, we must go back over a decade to the summer of 2013. Legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson had just retired, with Everton manager David Moyes taking over at then-arguably the biggest club in the world. However, it would soon become clear how many cracks in the armor Sir Alex Ferguson had been covering up just months into Moyes's reign. Discontent and lack of interest between board members and staff led to a lack of new players entering the club, which was desperately needed to freshen up the aging team. A lack of new players also meant Moyes struggled to bring his style of play to fruition, and within ten months, he would be without a job. Since then many have tried their hand at the poison chalice that is the Manchester United job. However, none have succeeded. Dutchman Louis van Gaal lasted just two years, serial winner Jose Mourinho couldn’t get them any higher than second, and club legend Ole Gunnar Solksjaer had them battling around the relegation zone at the time of his sacking. Ten Hag has proven to be another one of these managerial giants who fell victim to the Manchester United job, a position that becomes less appealing by the day. But the blame does not solely lay with the man choosing the team every day. There are far more rotten backroom problems at the club causing issues on the pitch.
Until last year, the club was owned solely by the Glazer family, who have done more harm than good since purchasing the club back in 2005. Taking money from the club, using it as a commercial asset for their gain, and just straight-up mismanagement of a soccer club, has led to strong opposition from Manchester United fans towards the Glazers. However, a sign of hope appeared in 2023, as a lifelong Manchester United fan, and one of the richest men in Europe, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, bought twenty-five percent of the club from the Glazers. In charge of the soccer operations at the club, Ratcliffe wasted no time making changes to the stagnant backroom staff. Appointments such as CEO Omar Berrada from Manchester City and Sporting Director Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United moved the needle in the right direction for the first time in years at the club. Recruitment has also improved under the new regime, bringing in young stars like Lille’s Leny Yoro and Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee, versus over-the-hill players such as Casemiro and Raphael Varane. Now, though, they face their greatest challenge so far in their short reign: finding a manager who can turn back the clock to their glory days.
The man who looks set to take over at Old Trafford is Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese manager has been at Sporting Club de Portugal for four years after joining from Braga in early 2020. He quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after coaches in all of Europe, leading Sporting Club de Portugal to several trophies, including their first league title in over twenty years. His ability to galvanize the fans after years of decline was a prime factor as to why the Manchester United hierarchy saw him as the perfect man to replace Erik Ten Hag. He alone, however, will not be enough to save a deteriorating club on the brink of utter implosion.
Only time will tell if the new developments at Manchester United will do the club any good. While they are following the formula developed by the most successful clubs in the world, they have always found a way to mess it up. To avoid making these same mistakes, the new leaders at the club must find a way to lead all those around them towards a common goal. Otherwise, memories of the glorious days at Manchester United will remain memories for the foreseeable future.
By Luke Birch