As the most successful club in the Premier League era and the 20th-time winner in the history of English football, Manchester United are currently at the bottom. The score also shows the strength gap between the two sides after a four-goal win over City on Sunday, with the next Manchester United manager facing a difficult rebuilding task as summer approaches. Here, our authors delve into Manchester United's experience over the years, looking at The United's performance since Ferguson's retirement in 2013, and digging into the 6 major fuses behind United's fall.
1. The blood-sucking behavior of the Glazer family
The Glazer family has been under much criticism since the acquisition of Manchester United in 2005, taking more than £1 billion in dividends from the club but defying the demands of fans. By contrast, City veteran Sheikh Mansour has injected more than £1 billion into City, and in more than 10 years they have gone from being a second- and third-rate team in the Premier League to being the league supremacy. At the same time, the Glazers also put United in debt distress through a number of acquisitions. Ed Woodward, who is United's executive vice-president, has been called Glazer's puppet by fans and has been the culprit of the failures of the past 10 years, although he stepped down on February 1. United fans have long believed that Glazer used the club for personal financial gain, and the failures on the pitch over the past 10 years have gradually increased the credibility of this view.
2. The chaos and stupidity of the transfer market
Under Ferguson, United will usually get the players they want by combining their status and financial resources. However, in the post-Ferguson era, their transfer policy has been a mess, spending more than £1 billion on players since 2013. In contrast, Manchester City and Liverpool have excellent transfers, both are quick and chaotic, and there are few mistakes in the buying and selling of players. But United are often embroiled in protracted transfer sagas or end up paying odds for players who are simply not worth anything. From Sanchez, Depay, Mkhitaryan and Di Maria to Wanbisaka, Fred, Lindelof, Pogba, Maguire, and Cristiano Ronaldo, Bad Transfers Abound.
3. It does not help the improvement of the player
As the manager of Manchester City, Guardiola not only improved the team's performance, but also improved the level and ability of the players to play. But Manchester United are just the opposite, and in recent years it is difficult to imagine any player who has improved because of his work at Manchester United. If anything, they all went backwards. The experience of Maguire, Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford, Martial and others at Manchester United proves that Manchester United is truly indefatigable. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been criticised for the composition of his coaching team, and Lonnick is now facing the same problem. Since Lonnick took office, there is little evidence that his famous high-pressure style has been implemented, and his coaching staff has clearly failed to convey help and advice to the players.
4. Infighting and wasting of players
Despite claims to the contrary, there are clear divisions and factions within the Manchester United dressing room. On Sunday, after learning he would not be able to start, Cristiano Ronaldo flew straight back to Portugal after announcing he was injured and unable to participate in the derby, while Cavani missed his sixth consecutive game after deciding he was unwell. The power struggle between Cristiano Ronaldo and captain Maguire is the biggest problem within United. On the other hand, every time United suffers a major defeat, the PR team hired by the players to manage their social media accounts sends out messages of one kind or another that fans are almost tired of the players' various ugliness and demanding that they take appropriate action on the pitch.
5. Frequently change the head coach
United will appoint their fifth manager in nine years this summer. In contrast, Klopp has been at Liverpool since 2015 and Guardiola has been in charge of Manchester City since 2016. United have gone through Moyes, Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, none of whom were suitable candidates and ultimately failed. The next manager has to have time to succeed, but also has to have the right structure and people in key positions to make the right decisions, as Manchester City and Liverpool have ensured.
6. The old home field
Old Trafford is known as the Theatre of Dreams, but is now a mirror for the team – once the pride of Manchester, now in disrepair and the oldest home of several Premier League giants. Under Glazer's control, the 76,000-seat stadium has long since been abandoned and is now far behind the home of Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. Compared to the modern facilities of the home stadiums such as Etihad and Anfield, the roof of Old Trafford is not only leaking all year round, but even the big screen that notifies fans and plays back VARs does not. The once-desirable Old Trafford is the Premier League's most backward and least-desirable stadium. The current situation at Old Trafford reflects the backwardness and conservatism of Manchester United over the years, they have made almost no progress in these 10 years, and it is only a matter of time before the former Red Devils gradually become a second- and third-rate team in the face of the continuous improvement of other opponents.