“Everyone kind of knew it was going to be a difficult period” - Denis Irwin highlights biggest problem with Manchester United post-Sir Alex Ferguson 

Manchester United legend Denis Irwin has put the club's struggles post-Sir Alex Ferguson on poor player recruitment. The Red Devils have struggled since the legendary manager retired in 2013, winning only a handful of trophies while also reaching unwanted lows.

Sir Alex had retired after spending 27 years in charge of the Red Devils and winning 38 trophies. Since then, the club have had six different managers and spent well over a billion pounds on transfers, with very little to show for it.

Regarded by many as one of the greatest pound-for-pound signings under Sir Alex Ferguson, Denis Irwin enjoyed great success at Manchester United between 1990 and 2002. He recently appeared on the 'Stick to Football' podcast and shared his observations about the club's struggles, pinpointing the poor recruitment as a problem.

“It’s been a difficult ten years [post-Sir Alex Ferguson]. Everyone kind of knew it was going to be a difficult period after Sir Alex left. They’ve had a lot of experienced managers – Ole [Gunnar Solskjær] as well – that have looked like they’re going to do something, but that light has just closed," Irwin said (via GOAL).

“They’ve won cups, like Liverpool did in their quiet period, but not been anywhere near the league in the last ten years. It’s going to take time. I’ve said before, it’s down to the players. The manager can organise [the players], he likes a 4-3-3, but it’s literally down to the players. You wouldn’t say [Manchester] United’s recruitment over the last 10 years has been great either – that’s the biggest problem," he added.

Manchester United have won the UEFA Europa League once since Sir Alex retired when Jose Mourinho led them to glory in the 2016-17 season. He also won the League Cup and Community Shield in his stint at the club. Louis van Gaal led the side to the FA Cup title in 2015, as did Erik ten Hag in 2024. The Dutchman had also won the League Cup a year prior.

In terms of the Premier League, the Red Devils have hardly come close to challenging for the title since Sir Alex Ferguson left. They finished eighth, their lowest-ever position in the Premier League era, in the 2023-24 season. They could finish lower this year, with 10 defeats in 22 games leaving them in 13th place, with just over a third of the season left.

Manchester United bounce back from Brighton defeat with win over Rangers

Manchester United responded to their 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion in the league last week by claiming a last-gasp win over Rangers in the UEFA Europa League. The Red Devils picked up all three points with a 2-1 win in the closing moments of the game on Thursday (January 23).

Ruben Amorim's side needed a huge slice of luck to go ahead in the 52nd minute as former England international Jack Butland punched a corner kick directly into his own goal. The Scottish outfit left it late to find an equalizer as Nigerian striker Cyriel Dessers came off the bench and scored in the 88th minute.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes then came up clutch, scoring the winner (90+2') at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have now won two of their last three games in the league and Europe.