Manchester United, once the pride of English football and the most successful club in the country, has experienced a dramatic decline over the past decade. From their dominant position atop the Premier League, the club has fallen into a cesspool of mismanagement, poor recruitment, and a lack of on-field success.
In this article, we will explore the key factors that have contributed to Manchester United’s decline, the implications in terms of the future of the club and what solutions possibly exist to fix it.
The Glazers Take Over
Many people believe the Glazers just came in 2005 and hindered the club however it actually all started years before in the background!
By the end of 2003, the shareholding of Malcolm Glazer had significantly increased from 3.17% to approximately 15%, demonstrating impressive growth that almost doubled in the year leading up to October 2004. The acquisition made by Glazer of John Magnier and J. P. McManus’s stake, which was at 28.7%, further elevated his ownership to around 57% in May 2005.
This surge put him well above the threshold of 30%, a requirement to initiate a takeover bid. Shortly after, he gained control over an astounding 75% of the club’s shares, granting him the ability to delist the company from the London Stock Exchange. Within just a month, the Glazers successfully obtained ownership of 98% through their parent company, Red Football, leaving only a remaining squeeze-out percentage of merely 2%.
The Glazers used a significant portion of capital, in the form of loans, to acquire Manchester United for a staggering price tag of nearly £800 million. These loans were primarily secured against the club’s assets and resulted in annual interest payments exceeding £60 million. Additionally, The Glazers obtained PIK loans, which were subsequently sold to hedge funds. It is important to note that Manchester United was not responsible for these PIK loans as they were held by Red Football Joint Venture and backed by the company’s shares in Red Football (and consequently, the club).
The Glazers, owners of the club, did not pay down any of the PIK loans for the first five years despite the interest on them rolling up at 14.25% per annum. However, in January 2010, Manchester United successfully carried out a £500 million bond issue. By March 2010, the amount owed on the PIKs was approximately £207 million. Eventually, in November 2010, the Glazers managed to pay off the PIKs through unspecified means. As part of further refinancing in August 2012, they sold some shares in Manchester United through an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
This meant that the club which was a shining example in English football with huge revenues, were now debt ridden due to the takeover with the club essentially a way for the Glazers to pay off debt whilst relying on the brand of Manchester United.
In summary, they used to debt to buy the club, these debts accrued interest putting Manchester United in further debt and hindering their ability to invest back into the football side of operations whilst the money they did reinvest was wasted due to poor structures and leaders within in the club.
Signs of Decline At Manchester United
While Manchester United continued to enjoy success under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson, signs of decline were already beginning to emerge. The emergence of Manchester City, backed by significant financial investment, posed a threat to United’s dominance. Moreover, the club’s transfer activity during this period was less than stellar, with only a handful of successful signings.
As mentioned, Ferguson’s ability to lead his players particularly if you look at that 2013 title winning side, really offset the poor recruitment and lack of big name signings. This was more obvious once Ferguson retired…
Ferguson’s Departure and the Fallout
In 2013, Manchester coaching legend, Sir Alex Ferguson retired from his managerial position at Manchester United, leaving a void that would prove difficult to fill. The departure of Ferguson, coupled with the loss of CEO David Gill, had a profound impact on the club’s fortunes. Many often argue that Gill leaving was just as big as Ferguson leaving due to his calming influence at the club.
The subsequent appointment of David Moyes as Ferguson’s successor marked the beginning of a turbulent period for the club.
The Moyes Era
Whilst hopes were high due to being hand picked by Fergie, David Moyes’ tenure as manager of Manchester United was short and incredibly disappointing.
Here is a summary of the Moyes Era
- In May 2013, Moyes was chosen to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson and signed a six-year contract starting in July 2013.
- It was Moyes’ first job at a major club, having previously managed Everton for 11 years.
- United made an average start under Moyes, despite winning his first game 4-1 against Swansea, the team later loss to Liverpool, Manchester City and West Brom all within a month.
- The team struggled for consistency and failed to mount a title challenge, being knocked out of the Champions League early as well.
- By January 2014, United were 7th in the Premier League table, their worst position in over 20 years and averaged 7th up until David Moyes being sacked.
- Growing discontent from fans and poor results led to Moyes being sacked in April 2014, after just 10 months in charge.
- He holds the record for the shortest reign as United manager of the post-Ferguson era, winning only 27 of the 51 games in charge.
- Moyes’ inability to succeed Ferguson’s unprecedented success exposed the club’s lack of long-term planning in the transition.
Giggs took over in the short term whilst United looked for a new manager, later landing on Van Gaal.
The Van Gaal Era
United opted for a different approach this time, selecting a proven coach in Louis Van Gaal.
Here is a summary of Louis van Gaal’s time as manager of Manchester United:
- Van Gaal was appointed as manager in May 2014 to replace David Moyes on a three-year contract.
- He had an illustrious resume having managed top clubs like Ajax, Barcelona, and the Netherlands national team.
- In his first season (2014-15), van Gaal guided United to a fourth place finish in the Premier League.
- However, his philosophy of emphasis on possession football was criticized for being boring. Some players like Wayne Rooney were unhappy with his rigid tactics.
- Major signings like Di Maria and Falcao struggled to fit in and were soon sold. van Gaal had mixed success in the transfer market.
- The 2015-16 season saw United win the FA Cup. They finished fifth in the league and were knocked out of an easy group in the Champions League.
- Fan unrest grew due to the team’s style of play and results not matching the club’s ambitions.
- van Gaal was sacked at the end of the season after United failed to qualify for the Champions League.
- He was replaced by Jose Mourinho, having won the FA Cup but leaving United a long way off being title contenders again.
So in summary, van Gaal stabilized United after Moyes but his tactical approach and some transfer failures meant he ultimately failed to restore them to the top. The club then had eyes on proven winner, Jose Mourinho.
The Mourinho Era
Woodward again went with a big name manager, this time with the special one, Jose Mourinho.
Here is a summary of Jose Mourinho’s time as manager of Manchester United:
- Mourinho was appointed in May 2016, signing a three-year contract to replace Louis van Gaal.
- In his first season (2016-17), he delivered the EFL Cup and Europa League trophies, and a sixth place Premier League finish.
- The following season (2017-18) saw improvement, with United finishing second in the league and reaching the FA Cup final. That said, they did finish 19 points behind Manchester City who finished 1st.
- However, tensions grew between Mourinho and some players like Paul Pogba. His defensive, pragmatic style was also criticized.
- In his final full season (2018-19), results deteriorated and United were 11 points off the top of the league by December.
- Poor performances and his fractious relationship with players/board led to Mourinho being sacked in December 2018.
- While delivering two trophies, Mourinho failed to match United’s tradition of attacking football or consistently challenging for major titles.
- Internal clashes and his tactics/man-management contributed to a decline that saw the third-place club sack their manager for the third time in four seasons.
So in summary, Mourinho delivered short-term success but his tenure ended acrimoniously due to poor results and deteriorating relationships.
This was also due to the clubs lack of faith and investment after Mourinho showcased he could win, to this day, Mourinho claims finishing 2nd with that squad is his greatest achievement.
After Mourinho was sacked, the club had no idea which direction to go in and decided to appoint club legend Ole Gunnar Soljskaer as interim head coach.
The Ole Era
Ole was appointed interim manager of Manchester United in December 2018 after the club fired Jose Mourinho. He then became the first United manager to win his first five games in charge since Sir Matt Busby in 1946, and was named manager of the month (source: The Guardian ).
As a player, Ole spent 11 years at Manchester United from 1996-2007, playing 366 times and scoring 126 goals. Some of his most memorable moments include scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League Final.
In his first season as permanent manager in 2018/19, Ole helped revitalize the squad and led United to a third place finish in the Premier League. However, results declined in subsequent seasons and United’s defensive issues were exposed, leading to criticism of Ole’s tactics.
In 2021/22, United brought in superstar Cristiano Ronaldo but struggled for consistency. Ole was eventually fired in November 2021 after a poor run of results and spankings at the hands of Liverpool & Manchester City. Overall, Ole had mixed success as United manager as he aimed to rebuild the team into Premier League title contenders.
Ole’s big missed chance was losing the Europa League final as it could have been a huge step winning a trophy, instead it fizzled out and the players stopped reacting to his management whilst he lacked the guts to drop underperforming players.
Ragnick Transition
Ralf Rangnick was appointed as interim manager in November 2021 until the end of the season after the firing of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Rangnick is an experienced German coach who had success implementing high-pressing tactics at other clubs.
In his first few months, Rangnick aimed to introduce his renowned “gegenpressing” style of play to United but struggled to implement his tactics fully. While some improvement was seen in pressing numbers, overall team performances were inconsistent.
There were also reports of discontent in the dressing room and clashes between Rangnick and his coaching staff (source: The Athletic ). His interim tenure was further hampered by receiving tactical advice remotely from an unpaid analyst based in Russia.
By the end of the season, United saw little progress under Rangnick’s guidance and missed out on Champions League qualification. His brief but underwhelming time at Old Trafford left many questioning his leadership abilities, the board also did not like him as he was honest about the culture and “open heart” problems of Manchester United.
Ten Haag Is Here!
Erik ten Hag was appointed as the new permanent manager of Manchester United in April 2022, tasked with overhauling the squad and implementing his footballing philosophy (source: ManUtd.com ).
In his first season in 2022/23, ten Hag has focused on improving the team’s pressing and playing a possession-based style.. Early results were mixed including a 4-0 thumping against Brentford as he evaluated the squad but United have shown signs of progress under his guidance.
Ten Hag made some notable signings like Casemiro, Antony and Lisandro Martinez to fit his system. He has also benched big names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire at times to get the best out of the team collectively.
While defeats like the derby loss to Manchester City were a setback, overall United have performed better than last season under ten Hag winning the EFL Cup. That said, he suffered a record loss to Liverpool 7-0 and had some really poor results along the way.
Ten Hag this season is currently under immense pressure with many questioning what influence he is having on the team. He refuses to drop players like Rashford who is one of the worst attackers in the Premier League, statisically speaking this season. Ten Hag’s away record is also under question as his big 6 record away from home is one of the worst in history.
Horrible Recruitment
As mentioned, the recruitment over the years has been another big factor in the decline of the club, they no longer went for culture fits and started going for high profile players with bad attitudes. To go with this, clubs knew that Manchester United were desperate so they had to pay over the odds for below par players.
They’ve broken transfer records for players such as Pogba & Maguire whilst also spending big money on players that didn’t last more than 2 seasons.
The Role of Ed Woodward
Ed Woodward joined Manchester United in 2005 as the club’s first ever chief financial officer. He played a key role in the Glazer family’s takeover of the club later that year. In 2012, Woodward was promoted to executive vice-chairman, making him effectively the most powerful person at United after the Glazer family owners.
During his decade in this role, Woodward focused heavily on expanding United’s commercial business operations around the world. This led to significant revenue growth, with the club’s annual revenue nearly doubling under his watch. However, there was frequent criticism of Woodward’s lack of football knowledge and experience.
On the pitch, United saw mixed success. They won five major trophies, including the 2016-17 Europa League and 2016-17 EFL Cup. However, the club failed to win the Premier League title after 2013 under Sir Alex Ferguson. This led to increased fan unrest, with many questioning Woodward’s recruitment and managerial decisions.
Some of United’s most expensive signings like Angel Di Maria and Alexis Sanchez turned out to be major flops. Woodward was also criticized for his role in the departures of managers like David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.
In the later years of his tenure, fan protests against the Glazer ownership grew louder, with Woodward often facing the brunt of the frustration. In April 2021, Woodward announced his intention to step down from his executive role. He finally departed United in February 2022, marking the end of his 17-year association with the club.
While Woodward expanded United commercially, his leadership of the football side received much criticism over failed recruitment and the club’s inability to win the Premier League post-Ferguson. Ultimately, his tenure showed both sides of the challenge of balancing business and football at one of the world’s biggest clubs.
The final piece of Woodward’s time at United was sealed by his alleged involvement in the Super League.
Manchester United Try To Join The Super League
In April 2021, news broke that 12 major European football clubs, including Manchester United, had signed up to be founding members of a new continental super league called the European Super League. This was a direct challenge to UEFA’s Champions League.
United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward was announced as the new competition’s vice-chairman. It proposed a midweek competition of 20 teams with 15 founding members having protected spots. This closed-shop approach drew intense backlash for threatening the open sporting structure of domestic leagues.
Fan groups like The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust condemned United’s involvement, seeing it as motivated by greed rather than sporting merit. Mass protests erupted outside Old Trafford ahead of a scheduled home game against Liverpool. The negative reaction from fans as well as players like Bruno Fernandes made United’s position untenable.
Within 48 hours, United announced they would no longer be participating in the European Super League. Woodward also resigned from his role. The project rapidly collapsed as more clubs withdrew. While the motivation was greater revenue, it demonstrated United had misjudged the strength of opposition from supporters attached to tradition and fair competition.
The Super League fiasco damaged United’s reputation for putting business over fans. It highlighted the need to better connect with supporters on key strategic decisions in the future. United’s involvement was brief but showed the consequences when a club overlooks its community roots and puts commerical interest first after over 15 years of already seeing it occur at the club.
Post Woodward – Richard Arnold Takes Over, John Murtough Continues In Director Of Football Role
Richard Arnold has been the CEO of Manchester United since February 2022, replacing Ed Woodward in the role. He had previously been managing director since 2013.
As CEO, Arnold oversees the business and commercial strategy of the club. He is responsible for growing United’s revenue streams and brand globally. Arnold has taken a more hands-on approach than Woodward, meeting regularly with fan groups with one group even recording their encounter. However, the club’s on-field performances will ultimately define his legacy.
John Murtough was appointed as the club’s first football director in March 2021. He is effectively the sporting director, overseeing recruitment, academy, and on-pitch strategy. He has faced huge criticism for his lack of shrewd signings and poor transfer skills which has led to the club quite literally finding it hard to sell players for a fee or spend reasonable market value on a player.
There have been reports that the pair have had disagreements over transfer targets and managerial appointments, including the hiring and firing of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
Overall, Arnold and Murtough represent the “football vs business” dichotomy at United under the Glazer ownership. Close collaboration between the pair is common but as of now, they’ve done nothing to change the culture that Woodward left behind.
How Do They Fix Manchester United?
For Manchester United to fix the problem, they must do some self-reflection. They’ve moved away from their roots and need a top-down change, from leadership to scouts, to potentially even the manager. Once the leadership changes, the players need an absolute fire sale, players such as Mctominay, Van De Beek, even Rashford to some extent, need to either be moved on or put in their place.
For far too long, players have had too much influence at Manchester United and the current situation looks no different, as the players seem to have given up on Ten Hag. These players have also shown that they cannot live up to the expectations of wearing the United badge.
The next phase is a complete overhaul of the scouting and recruitment system, new processes, better scouts to find players who will work with the culture and not overpaid players who quit during tough times.
For Man Utd to get back to their best, some ruthless decisions need to be made, if they can’t they face riding off into the abyss as the emergence of teams such as Newcastle United, Aston Villa & Tottenham could push them into mid table mediocrity which would lead to financial failure of this debt-ridden club.
Overall, it’s been such a sad sight watching this once great club fall, however many can use them as a case study of what neglect, poor leadership, player power and lowering expectations can do to a once great club.
Manchester United, will we ever see them at the top again?
