Manchester United Football Club, once the benchmark of excellence in European football, has endured over a decade of underachievement since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. The legendary manager's departure marked the end of a golden era defined by continuous success, squad unity and tactical adaptability. In contrast, the years that followed after their great leader's departure exposed deep-rooted structural and strategic problems that the club is still struggling to overcome.
Ferguson’s reign from 1986 to 2013 brought stability, discipline, and an unrivalled trophy cabinet. He not only won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies but also cultivated a culture of continuous evolution—rebuilding title-winning teams every few years, promoting youth, and extracting the best from world-class players. Under his leadership, United were not just winners; they were a brand of footballing excellence. During his time, Manchester United gave birth to a lot of superstars including Wayne Rooney, Edvin Van Der Sar, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Nani, Patrick Evra, Berbatov, Michael Owen, Ji Sung Park, Cristiano Ronaldo etc.
However, Ferguson’s retirement was not just the loss of a great manager—it was the loss of the club’s central figure. David Gill, the club’s CEO and a crucial partner to Ferguson, also stepped down in 2013. Their simultaneous exits left a vacuum in leadership and footballing philosophy that was never adequately filled.
David Moyes, Ferguson’s chosen successor, inherited a squad that had just won the Premier League but lacked the investment needed for a long-term transition. His tenure lasted just ten months, during which the club slipped to seventh place and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in nearly two decades.
The subsequent years were marked by a revolving door of managers, each with contrasting philosophies and incomplete mandates. Louis van Gaal brought rigid possession football and some silverware in the form of an FA Cup in 2016, but struggled to inspire attacking fluidity or develop a consistent identity. José Mourinho followed, introducing his Park the bus tactics. He was a short-term success with a League Cup and Europa League double in 2017. Yet his tenure turned toxic amid dressing room clashes, public criticism of players, and an over-reliance on defensive tactics that alienated supporters. His sacking in 2018 further emphasised the lack of long-term planning.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær was brought in to restore the club’s ethos and cultural identity. A beloved former player, he initially succeeded in rejuvenating the squad and guiding them to a second-place Premier League finish in 2021. However, his tactical limitations and the absence of a clear system became evident during high-stakes matches. The 2021–22 season unravelled quickly, and he was dismissed in November 2021.
The club’s problems ran deeper than just the manager’s bench. Poor recruitment became a defining feature of United’s decline. Since 2013, United spent well over 1 billion in the transfer market, but very few of those signings made a lasting impact. Expensive flops such as Ángel Di María, Alexis Sánchez, Harry Maguire, and Romelu Lukaku highlighted a scattergun approach to squad building, often driven by commercial appeal or short-term thinking rather than a coherent football strategy. Promising young players were mismanaged or stagnated due to inconsistent coaching and system changes.
Behind the scenes, structural issues compounded on-field problems. The Glazer family’s ownership, often criticised for prioritising commercial revenues over sporting success. Their heavily leveraged takeover in 2005 saddled the club with debt, and critics argue that dividends and executive bonuses were prioritised over critical footballing investments such as infrastructure and scouting networks. The absence of a director of football until 2021 and the late appointment of John Murtough to that role, meant the club lacked football-savvy leadership at executive levels for years.
As the years progressed, rivals such as Manchester City and Liverpool overtook United—not just in terms of trophies, but also in footballing philosophy, recruitment, and managerial appointments. While City built a modern empire under Pep Guardiola with an elite scouting and data-driven model, United were often reactive, choosing managers based on past glories rather than suitability for the present squad.
In 2022, Erik ten Hag was appointed, bringing with him a reputation for intelligent pressing football and youth development from Ajax. His first season showed signs of promise—winning the League Cup, finishing in the top four, and reaching the FA Cup final. However, the 2023–24 season unraveled due to a combination of factors: a massive injury crisis, underperforming signings, off-field controversies involving key players, and tactical rigidity in key moments. Ten Hag’s authority also came under scrutiny as the squad once again appeared disjointed and lacking leadership. By early 2025, his future was uncertain, with growing fan pressure and internal doubts about the club’s trajectory. On 28 October 2024, Ten Hag was dismissed from his role as head coach at Manchester United.
Following his departure, Manchester United then appointed Ruben Amorim as their new manager from Sporting CP. He arrived in November when United were 13th, and now they have slipped three spots below in the league table. Thursday’s Europa League defeat ended any hopes of Champions League next season for United.
As of May 2025, Manchester United remain a club searching for identity and consistency. They are no longer feared by opponents as they once were, nor are they seen as the gold standard of football management. The appointment of INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority ownership stake has sparked hope for a long-term rebuild, with a focus on football-first decisions. Sporting director changes and the revamp of the club’s infrastructure are underway, but progress has been slow and the gap between United and Europe’s elite remains significant.
The fall of Manchester United post-Ferguson is a cautionary tale of how losing foundational leadership, coupled with short-termism, poor planning, and misaligned priorities, can erode even the most successful sporting institutions. While the club still remains global appeal and a rich history, the road back to sustained success will require not just new signings or managerial appointments, but a complete philosophical overhaul.