Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, Manchester United has truly become a graveyard for managers, with none of his six successors lasting more than three years.
From “The Chosen” David Moyes to serial winners like Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, from fan-favorite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to the ambitious Erik ten Hag, there has been no shortage of managerial experience at Old Trafford.
Let’s look at some reasons that might have cursed managers to fail at United.
Loss In Confidence
While Ten Hag enjoyed more patience than his predecessors, managing United involves managing the expectations of the club’s board and its fans.
In many ways, his tenure epitomized the chaotic reality of post-Ferguson management: a tough first transfer window, early struggles, a “Back to Basics” approach, a promising revival, and a trophy win that fueled hope for a new beginning.
When Ten Hag took charge in 2022, the club had just finished with its lowest-ever Premier League points total of 58. He did well to guide them back into the Champions League, putting together a squad that functioned more cohesively both on and off the ball.
Memorable wins over Barcelona in the Europa League and Newcastle in the Carabao Cup Final led many fans to believe that their club was on the rise.
While there were concerning results, particularly against top sides, they were often overlooked due to the belief that Ten Hag, with another season to implement his vision, would discover a new path to improve the team. But that ultimately didn’t happen.
As time went on, it became increasingly difficult to define Ten Hag’s game plan. He seemed okay with adding different components of strategies without a clear path of how they would fit together.
This trend became apparent in his second season. His approach centered on dominating possession while pushing for quick, direct attacks.
Unfortunately for United, this translated to asking its forwards, who struggled with pressing, to push high up the pitch, leaving a midfield lacking in running power to cover the resulting large gaps.
This created significant space in midfield, as Ten Hag opted for a deep defensive line that was also left exposed. As a result, United’s attacking style was often one-dimensional, capable of scoring on the break but lacking the defensive tools to cope when being countered themselves.
Ten Hag also struggled to shift momentum when games slipped away, frequently making perplexing substitutions and placing key players in unfamiliar roles.
An unexpected FA Cup triumph against Manchester City reminded the football world of his tactical prowess in one-off games.
However, the valid criticism of Ten Hag was about his side’s performances, and the supporters who highlighted those trophy wins were overlooking the fact that the style of football being played was unsustainable for a club with title-winning ambitions.
Tan Hag leaves United with a reasonable claim of being a “successful” manager, given he won silverware – something 14 of his predecessors failed to do. In many ways, his tenure underlines the immense challenge of living up to the standards set by Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby before him.
The weight Of Sir Alex’s Legacy
Ten Hag leaves United with a reasonable claim of being a “successful” manager given he won silverware, something 14 of his predecessors failed to do.
In many ways his tenure underlines the immense challenge of living up to the standards set by Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby before him.
No club in England has won more top-flight titles than United’s 20, but 18 of those were claimed by either Busby or Ferguson. Together, they account for 30/33 of United’s 44 major trophies. While 20 of the club’s 23 managers have failed to deliver a league title.
Since 2013, United have also not been involved in a meaningful title race lasting into May, finishing in the top four only 5 times out of 11 seasons.
That is because the club has spent too much of the last decade in stagnation, always moving one step forward and two steps back. This mirrors Liverpool’s decline in the 1990s, not just in how quickly standards slipped but in the naive belief that a little turbulence would soon be followed by a return to glory.
We all know of the three-decade gap between Liverpool’s 18th league title in 1990 and their 19th, three decades later, in 2020. While United are still far from approaching the 20-year mark, it has been 11 long years since their last Premier League title.
Although, Mourinho and Solskjaer may still boast of their second-place finishes in 2018 and 2021, but those were among the most distant second-place finishes in English top-flight history.
Taking the managerial role at Old Trafford sets a threshold that creates a lower acceptance for failure, especially under the immense weight of Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy.
Make or Break Environment
The Manchester United atmosphere is charged with expectation and scrutiny, especially under the new ownership of INEOS’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe, head of the INEOS group, has voiced significant concerns about the culture of mediocrity that has eaten up the club during the Glazer family’s tenure.
He pointed out that bringing back glory to the club necessitated appointing the right personnel at every level of the club, from the board to the dressing room.
To that effect, the club’s recent moves to appoint former Manchester City executive Omar Berrada as CEO and Dan Ashworth from Newcastle as sporting director, confirms his commitment to giving life back to the club.
Berrada’s recent address to the club’s staff, where he set a target of reclaiming the Premier League title by 2028, coinciding with United’s 150th anniversary, has stirred mixed feelings among supporters. It feels both underwhelming for a club of United’s stature and overly optimistic considering the current state of the squad.
The competitive landscape adds to the challenge. Manchester City have been crowned champions in six of the last seven seasons. Meanwhile, clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and even Chelsea seem better positioned to compete for titles in the immediate future.
The contrasting successes of these rivals, some of which have spent just a fraction of United’s budget, further emphasize that progress shouldn’t be as difficult as United and their managers keep making it look.
Unai Emery had an immediate impact at Aston Villa, with his work on the training pitch becoming evident within weeks. The same can be said for Enzo Maresca at Chelsea and Arne Slot at Liverpool.
Will The New Manager Break This Curse?
United have confirmed a deal for Ruben Amorim as their next manager, who has excelled at Sporting since joining the Portuguese giants in 2020. That is the kind of appointment that should inspire optimism for the future.
While things go very bad before they get better, there is now a glimpse of hope at the club and for the supporters.
However, this job at United carries loads of weight, considering list of managerial failures since 2013, for Amorim, this United job could either elevate or destroy his reputation forever.
We wish him and the club the best on this new chapter
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