Sir Alex Ferguson shocked the football world in 2013 when he announced that he was stepping down as the manager of Manchester United after 26 golden years. As is befitting of a serial winner, Sir Alex went out with a bang, winning the2012/2013 EPL title. Sir Alex’s decision to quit was the beginning of the club’s downfall.
The season after Sir Alex’s departure, United became so unreliable that punters stopped relying on them as they favoured backing more reliable clubs and playing games such as free spins no deposit UK. However, this season, the club has won its first trophy in six years and surpassed last season’s league points total, giving fans reasons to smile again. But is now the time to aim much higher?
Many years of struggle
On May 8, 2013, a Manchester United spokesperson announced that Sir Alex was retiring from managing the club. The announcement came after he had won 13 league titles, two Champions League trophies, five FA Cups, and four League Cups.
After announcing his retirement, Sir Alex said he believed he had left behind a squad that boded well for “continued success.” The squad had won the league title 17 days ago.
“It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so,” he said. “The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level.”
Sir Alex was wrong. The team did not continue success at the highest level. The squad failed the next season abysmally. The club has yet to win another league title since the 2012/2013 triumph.
His handpicked successor, David Moyes, failed to rekindle the spark that brought so much success to Old Trafford during Sir Alex’s incredibly successful reign.
Moyes started the premier league season with seven points from the first six matches – an unacceptable result for a team known for always winning. On April 22, 2014, Manchester United decided to part company with Moyes after his team smashed various unwanted records.
The club, which had enjoyed exceptional stability in the past, has frequently changed coaches since that time. From Ryan Giggs (interim) to Louis Van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Ralf Rangnick (interim), Manchester found little.
Notably, Van Gaal won a FA Cup, while Mourinho won the FA Cup and Europa League title, but even these top managers struggled to return United to their old glory.
The closest Manchester United got to winning the title since Sir Alex was finishing second with Jose Mourinho in the 17/18 season and Solskjaer in the 20/21 season. Even then, United were far away from the winners. They finished 19 points behind Manchester City in the 17/18 season and 12 points behind City in 20/21.
The managers who came since Sir Alex left also did not come close to winning the first Champions League title for the club since 2008, underlining the club’s massive decline.
The Erik ten Hag Effect
On April 21, 2022, Manchester United announced they were signing Ajax’s exciting manager, Erik ten Hag, who had guided the Dutch club to memorable victories in the Champions League. There were many reasons to be excited.
Predictably, the new manager has shown his worth and has improved the United squad that finished sixth in the league last season. Memorably, the club beat Newcastle in February to win the Carabao Cup. Rival fans will say, “It’s only the Carabao Cup,” but it was the club’s first trophy since Mourinho’s squad won the Europa League in 2017.
Ten Hag’s Manchester United side recently passed another milestone that shows progress after beating Nottingham Forest in the league. The victory means that United’s 59 points in the league have surpassed last season’s 58 points with eight games to go.
The team still has a mathematical chance to win more points than Mourinho’s team’s 81 points in 17/18. That’s progress.
Should Manchester United fans start demanding a league title for next season?
While ten Hag’s success opens the door for optimism, Manchester United fans should not get carried away now. The last two times Manchester United finished second in the league, they finished sixth the next season. Both times, United failed to maintain the rhythm that pushed them to second. There’s always the risk of history repeating itself.
Ten Hag’s huge task is maintaining and enhancing the rhythm next season. Notwithstanding, Manchester United fans should be modest with their hopes not to end up disappointed at the end of next season. Their manager’s playing style breeds confidence, and there will be little surprise if his team goes all the way next season.
