Although it may not feel like it, it’s now been six years since Alex Ferguson retired from managing Manchester United and it’s fair to say that things have gone downhill at the Premier League’s most successful club since then. After a period of 27 trophy-laden years under the management of Alex Ferguson, Manchester United have since had five different managers who have struggled to match the ambitions of the club’s fans and owners.
Before pundits put their trigger finger on any proposed free sports picks, it’s fair to say that things might get worse before they get any better at United, here’s why:
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer isn’t cut out for the job – Despite his only previous managerial experience being at Cardiff City and Norwegian side Molde, Solskjaer was brought in after the sacking of under-fire manager Jose Mourinho. Ole formally played under Ferguson at Manchester United and was brought in, originally as a caretaker manager, as someone who knew the club and its ethos well. A series of great results saw the United board offer him a big contract but since then the results have not gone their way. It may be too much too soon for Solskjaer as such a high pressure job is no place to learn the ropes of management.
Inactivity in the transfer market
So far United have been slow to make big moves in the market, it’s clear that experience needs to be brought in, especially in defence but so far the only additions have been 21 year old winger Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka who had a great season at right back for Crystal Palace but is still very young. There are rumours that Manchester United might sign Leicester’s centre back Maguire, he’d be a good fit in their defence but may not be the star that fans were hoping for.
Star players not performing
The two most obvious examples of this are Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez who were both marquee signings and haven’t shown the best of their ability in a Manchester United shirt. Pogba has shown his class at times but is too inconsistent and has become someone the fans love to hate. Previously Mourinho complained about his attitude problems and that he was lacking the focus and desire needed to be a Manchester United player. The midfielder has implied he wants to leave before the season starts but his price tag may prove too much for the teams interested in him.
Incompetence of the board
The downhill trajectory of United has been much publicised and a lot of blame placed on their managers but part of the blame also has to lie with the board who have made ineffective purchases in the market and hired managers who were not appropriate for a club of Manchester United’s size.
Negative atmosphere created by fans
Although fans have every right to complain when their team isn’t performing, a growing discontent amongst the supporters will create a negative atmosphere around the team, particularly during home games if fans start to boo and jeer their own players. This can increase the pressure on the players who are already underperforming and see that results don’t improve as players will start to dread playing at home.