What has led to the downfall of Manchester United?

Manchester United, one of the most popular English Football teams are dropping down to an all-time low with their performance in the past few weeks. They have dropped eight points so far in the Premier League and have been knocked out from the League Cup by a relatively lower ranked Derby County.

There was a time in the past during the Alex Ferguson era when beating Manchester United was almost considered as impossible. They earned a lot of fans due to their attacking style of play and their trophy cabinet used to get updated every year.

However, in the past few years, they have been struggling to win trophies for their fans. Still valued as the most popular brand, Manchester United will be hoping to turn things back to their top tier level in the upcoming games. Though it is difficult to pinpoint any particular reason for their failure, it can be narrowed down to these factors below.

#1 Jose Mourinho

Manchester United v Derby County - Carabao Cup Third Round

In the present scenario, Jose Mourinho will be the answerable person for United's dismal performance. His defensive tactics have not gone down well with the fans and many of the players have also resented it.

Above all, his media interactions have always been negative and created more problems. His public outrage against some of his players like Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial has been discouraging. He would like to amends but it will be very hard as he is walking on a thin rope

#2 Fewer opportunities to academy graduates

Manchester United v Sheffield United - FA Youth Cup Final 2nd Leg

Though Manchester United academy graduates have spent the most amount of minutes on the pitch last season, very few have actually turned up for United. There was a time when Manchester United academy graduates used to represent the senior team consistently.

Only Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba are the notable academy graduates now. Youngsters like Timothy-Fosu-Mensah, Andries Pereira and Alex Tuanzebe have spent most of their time on loan. This has to change for the old Manchester United to return.

#3 Lack of good transfer signings

There have been very few successful transfer signings after the departure of Alex Ferguson as the manager of Manchester United. Players like Angel Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez, and Marcus Rojo have all failed to replicate their past performances with the Old Trafford Club.

The management has also failed to land key transfer targets in the last few transfer windows. The likes of Toby Alderweireld and Toni Kroos were very close to signing for the Old Trafford club in the past. Having a stricter transfer policy and scouting agents can definitely help Manchester United.