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The days of Manchester United rolling over their opponents, playing scintillating football while increasing the size of their trophy cabinet each season, seem to be from another lifetime.
It's been 6 years since Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United and to say that the transition has been tough would be an understatement. The Red Devils have been left reeling from the pain and anguish that has come from the post-Sir Alex era. It's been season after season of disappointing results for the club.
Managers and players have come and gone, hundreds of millions of dollars have gone down the drain. In spite of all this, United find themselves way off the level they expect to be at. In fact, if it's possible, they seem to be in a worse situation now than ever before.
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What then has contributed to the demise of one of the greatest clubs in the history of the game? How have United fallen so far from their pedestal that there is no respite in sight?
The ones that followed
All said and done, the buck stops with the manager. Whether it was the 'Chosen One' or the 'Special One', it is fair to say that United's managerial appointments did not work out. With Sir Alex having been at the helm for 26 years, controlling virtually every aspect of the club, whoever was going to follow him was going to have his work cut out.
As it turned out, it was David Moyes who was burdened with the responsibility of leading United into this unprecedented era. Upon his arrival, he had the backing of the fans as well as Sir Alex himself. Things did not work out for him however, with United slumping to 7th in the league after a disappointing campaign.
Not even managing to see out his first season, he struggled to stamp his authority and never really found his feet at the club. His inexperience in managing a club of this stature and lack of tactical acumen left him and his side exposed time and time again.
The 'Chosen One' was replaced by Louis van Gaal, who was coming off an excellent 2014 World Cup campaign. He had previous experience of managing big clubs and a lot was expected from him by the Old Trafford faithful.
Under him, United struggled with consistency and were unable to challenge for major titles. His stubbornness in persisting with a possession-based philosophy as opposed to United's traditional style of play did not help. Winning the FA Cup proved to be too little too late and the inevitable sacking followed soon after.
Jose Mourinho took over the reins at Old Trafford in the summer of 2016 amid much fanfare. His 3 Premier League championships and a plethora of titles with various clubs at the highest level made him a lucrative candidate for the job. The summer transfer window further created a real buzz around the club as some of the best in the business like Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic made their way to Manchester.
Despite winning 2 titles and finishing in a commendable 2nd place, there was a general consensus that United weren't fulfilling their full potential under the Portuguese, especially considering the heavy sums invested by him, and were way off the level of their noisy neighbors.
Eventually, Mourinho's '3rd season syndrome' struck again as his morale along with the team's performances dipped drastically. He was sacked with the team way off the pace in the title race.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over as interim boss and an immediate upturn in results helped him in landing the job permanently. The new manager bounce did not last long though with familiar failings resurfacing. United are currently languishing in what has now become the all too familiar territory of the Europa League spots.
Lack of structure and clarity behind the scenes
While some of the problems the club has faced in the post-Sir Alex era can be attributed to the managers themselves, the club has to take its share of the blame. They clearly did not set their priorities straight while appointing managers.
The decision to appoint Moyes seemed to carry an emotional factor, given the similarities shared by him and Sir Alex. Their Scottish roots and longevity at one club surely cannot be ruled out as just a coincidence.
United perhaps saw in him as an opportunity to continue their tried and tested formula for success. This clearly was the wrong approach, as was proven by the results that followed.
With the signings of van Gaal and Mourinho, United deviated from their original plans and turned to big names who were proven winners. They were clearly not prioritizing how they got the results, as long as they got back to the top.
Neither signing worked out particularly well, with fans expressing their displeasure at the club's approach to games under both these managers. Inconsistency plagued United and they were unable to replicate the highs of the past.
Solskjaer ended up getting the job primarily due to his side's amazing comeback against PSG in the Champions League, a result which only papered over the cracks.
Although United's results under the Norwegian at the time were impressive, they would have been better off waiting till the end of the season and assessing all their options before making a final call.
The recruitment of players was another key area where United suffered. Big money flops like Angel di Maria, Alexis Sanchez and Fred meant that in spite of splashing the cash on players' price tags and wages, they were unable to improve the quality of the squad.
Ed Woodward clearly played a major role in the club's recruitment policy. While he has no doubt done a tremendous job looking after the club's financial aspects, his knowledge about the intricacies of the game has come into question, especially when it comes to transfers.
Talks about appointing a sporting director to help with the transfer business have come up yet nothing concrete has come out of it. There is a sense of confusion over who has the final say on transfers at the club.
There has been a general lack of leadership at the club ever since the departure of Sir Alex and David Gill, which must be sorted if the club are to get their future decisions right.
The emergence of the contenders
It is evident that some major changes need to be made in order for United to get back on the road to recovery. However, what makes their situation seem even more bleak is the emergence of perhaps the two best teams to have ever graced the Premier League.
Let's face it. Liverpool and Manchester City are simply on another dimension right now. They are redefining the way football is played in England and it is difficult to find any team that can play with the same intensity and consistency as these two anywhere across Europe. The fact that they are United's two biggest rivals only adds insult to injury.
Yes, United are nowhere near as good as they used to be. But even if they were, that may not have been good enough against these two behemoths. The chasm between the top 2 and the rest of England seems to be increasing day by day, week by week. Their record-breaking achievements only make others look worse.
They have two of the best managers in the world and have recruited smartly and efficiently, strengthening wherever and whenever they have needed to. Their high-pressing and attacking style of play is the stuff of dreams for United fans. Their relentless approach makes them seem unbeatable at times.
All this only serves to highlight the magnitude of the task that lies in front of United. To get back to where they used to be, they not only need to improve their own performances, but also reach as well as exceed the limits set by the Reds and the Citizens.
What next for United?
Having listed the countless problems that United have suffered from and continue to suffer from in the post-Sir Alex era, it is easy to forget that at the end of the day, Manchester United remains one of the biggest clubs on the planet.
Their name still stands out as a symbol of excellence and their badge commands a respect that not too many other clubs can relate to. Given the legion of support that they have generated all across the world and the revenue generated by the club, they are unlikely to tighten their purse strings anytime soon.
There is a vastly talented group of young players coming through at the club, with a number of them already a part of the main squad. It is imperative that these youngsters are looked after properly and allowed to develop to their full potential.
The recruitment business needs to be sorted out so that their massive transfer budget can be spent shrewdly. Whether to stick or twist with Solskjaer depends on what the club's priority is at this point in time.
If they are looking to get back on track as soon as possible and trying to cut the gap to the top, then they need to start looking in the transfer market again with some good options available. If however, they are looking at the bigger picture while trying to build the future of the club, then it would make sense to let Solskjaer work with these players and give him more time.
Having dominated the scene of English and European football under Sir Alex for more than 2 decades, Manchester United find themselves in the unusual position of being the hunters, rather than the hunted.
And as they chase the leading pack, they need to continue to search for an identity and the right balance of experience and youth. A proper structural organization needs to be in place so that the right managers and players are brought into the club.
While the jury is still out on their current manager, they know that their next managerial appointment needs to be right. Otherwise, the gap to the top may become insurmountable. Only after all this can Manchester United say that they are ready to become a powerhouse of world football once again.
