It’s over five years since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as Manchester United boss and the septuagenarian bowed out as champion of the Premier League. Not only his the Scotsman United’s greatest manager, his shoes have been pretty difficult to fill with the Red Devils looking very weak and lame since his exit. Perhaps the first big mistake was the appointment of his preferred successor or the choice he made but till date,Manchester United are a shadow of the great team and side built over 26 years by the Glasgow born former coach.
United have appointed three permanent managers since his exit and all have failed to replicate the heights set by Ferguson even the “special one” Jose Mourinho has found his dream job become a nightmare right in front of him before he was relieved of his duty earlier today. The former Chelsea manager coincidentally has lost another job in the Premier League the same month as he did with Chelsea three years. The big question is – Mourinho is a winner; why did he fail at a club synonymous with success? Both looked like a match made in heaven during his unveiling in the summer of 2016. Perhaps Manchester United is one step too big for the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid coach. Did United appoint Mourinho too late? Would he have done better if he was the first appointment after Ferguson? The former Porto coach came three years after Ferguson’s exit with David Moyes and Louis van Gaal having been in charge post Ferguson years preceding his arrival. Jose wasted no time in swinging into action, winning three silverware in his maiden season – the FA Community Shield, the League Cup and the Europa League. His arrival was meant to usher in a new era at Manchester United but the club suffered greatly in the Premier League managing only a sixth place finish, qualifying for the Champions League thanks to Europa League success. His second season was predicted to be the year the Premier League title would return to Old Trafford, like in his career where he won the league title in his second year everywhere – Portugal, England (with Chelsea), Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Unfortunately, their city rivals Manchester City blew competitors away as the Citizens strolled to the Premier League success while Mourinho and his United team could only settle for second place and a runners up position in the FA Cup final. If his second season wonder failed, one would anticipate that his usual third season burst wouldn’t happen but Manchester United have witnessed a chaotic campaign till date starting from the opening day of preseason with the manager constant complaint about lack of transfer targets being acquired to his battle with players and ultimately losing the dressing room with his authoritarian approach.The curtains came down on Sunday evening at Anfield following their loss to fierce rivals Liverpool who seem to be on the right path to success while United were heading the opposite direction. Liverpool outplayed Manchester United though the score line seem respectable, the performance was a stark reality of the dire situation the Red Devils have found themselves. After 17 games,United title bid was over with league leaders Liverpool 19 points better than them and the race for top four also slipping away as they are 11 points away from the minimum expectation.
Regardless of what might be said, something had to give. The club’s most expensive acquisition Paul Pogba sat on the bench for the entire game at Anfield while another major signing Fred didn’t make match day squad. The Old Trafford club board had to react to save their season and club. It was time for a change in direction and new course with a new man in charge. The position of the club is to install a caretaker manager till the end of the season while shopping for a long term replacement. As we all know in football, the buck stops at the manager’stable and he is usually the one to take the fall for the team’s non-performance but in the case, it looks like there is a deeper problem than that at Manchester United. The three managers hired post Ferguson era are no rookies – David Moyes was a respectable Premier League manager who built a stable and strong Everton side which tried to compete for European places and finished fourth in the 2004-05 season thereby qualifying for the Champions League play-offs. Louis van Gaal made a name for himself as Ajax manager winning the Champions League in 1995, managed Barcelona, was Champions League finalist with Bayern Munich in 2010 and won a bronze medal at the 2014 FIFA World Cup with a host of league titles in Netherlands and Germany. Jose Mourinho is a serial winner who has won titles at every club he has managed and he has a rich resume – two time European champion with Porto, Premier League titles with Chelsea, a treble with Inter Milan and the greatest LaLiga winning team with Real Madrid. It goes without a doubt that these men could and should have done the job at United but all seem to fallen along the path.
Manchester United is still one of the biggest if not the biggest brand in European club football and they are still on top of the game in the commercial aspect however, on the pitch where it matters most, the Red Devils stock has been failing. They have managed to reach the last eight of the Champions League once in the last five seasons when Bayern Munich knocked them out in 2014. They won the Europa League in 2017 but have not been as dominate as expected in Europe. Their last Premier League title was five years ago – won by Ferguson before he retired. The team has required improvement since Ferguson left and acquisition have been made including star players like returning old boy Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez. However,they have failed to excel or dominate in the league like before. Mourinho’s exit leaves the club at a cross road in terms of direction; Ed Woodward has continued to grow the club’s commercial fortune but success on the pitch is what we guarantee financial growth in the long run. Manchester United board need to have a proper review of their current business model to determine how they intend to improve their fortunes on the pitch. A Director of Football readily comes to mind, one who will work hand-in-hand with the new manager in terms of deciding the club’s new football philosophy, recruitment and return to the top of the game.
In the meantime, United need to appoint an interim coach to help rescue a disastrous campaign so far. The new coach will be leading United to the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday evening as they face the Bluebirds in Wales.