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Ever since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, there has been a trend going on at Old Trafford, which doesn’t seem to go down well with Manchester United fans. Ever since the great Scottish manager left the managerial role, the Red Devils have secured Champions League football under all the managers except David Moyes. However, they have failed to take the next step in those regimes. Why is that happening, and what could be done to rectify that? Let’s look at all those regimes and see the potential reasons for that.
All Manchester United managers post 2014
Louis Van Gaal (2014-2016)
Manchester United appointed former Bayern Munich and Barcelona manager Louis Van Gaal in 2014. The Dutchman was guaranteed signings in his first summer window, as he bought Angel Di Maria for a British record transfer fee. Moreover, the signings of Radamel Falcao and Daley Blind excited the United faithful. The results showed as the Red Devils finished 4th in the Premier League and secured Champions League football.
However, Manchester United fans expected Van Gaal to elevate his playing style and integrate his signings properly. However, Di Maria left for Paris Saint Germain, and Falcao’s loan move wasn’t made permanent. Despite the young signings of Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial, United’s lack of experience in the frontline cost them heavily in the season. The constant defeats from November till January ended their title pursuit. Despite winning the FA Cup, Van Gaal was sacked by Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho (2016-2018)
After watching Manchester City sign Pep Guardiola, United reacted by signing former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. As they weren’t in the Champions League again, the Red Devils broke the world of transfer fees by signing Paul Pogba from Juventus for £89m. Moreover, the additions of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan added experience in the frontline. Despite finishing 6th in the Premier League, Manchester United won the EFL Cup and the Europa League to book their ticket back into the Champions League.
The further additions of Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic, Alexis Sanchez, and Victor Lindelof was supposed to bring them towards the title challenge. However, Manchester City arguably generated their best Premier League season, securing 100 points, which meant it was a bridge too far for Manchester United, who ended at 81 points. In the 2018 transfer window, the United fans expected the board to make signings so they could close the gap on their rivals. However, those signings never came, and the tensions between Mourinho, the board, and the players increased.
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Ole Gunnar Soljskaer (2018-2022)
After a dismal start to the 2018/19 season, Manchester United sacked the Portuguese coach in December. The Red Devils appointed Ole Gunnar Soljskaer as the caretaker manager. Despite his incredible start to life as the United boss, the Red Devils finished 6th again.
In the 2019 transfer window, Manchester United again went big in the transfer market, securing Aaron Wan Bissaka and Harry Maguire for a combined £130m. Moreover, they signed Bruno Fernandes in the January transfer window. Soljskaer’s men improved in the 2019/20 season, finishing 3rd in the Premier League. However, as we have seen with the previous two regimes, the board never backed the Norwegian after securing Champions League football.
After losing 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur, the board went for panic buys and signed Alex Telles and Edinson Cavani on deadline day. Despite the chaotic nature of the board, United finished second in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season. In the 2021 transfer window, Manchester United surprisingly went big. They signed Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and welcomed back Cristiano Ronaldo. However, with the big names, the expectations also increased for Soljskaer, who had gone three seasons without winning a trophy for Manchester United.
The expectations proved too big for the former Cardiff manager as abysmal performances and lack of identity in the playing style created a fundamental gap between the players and the manager. After a 4-1 defeat at Watford, United sacked Solsjkaer.
Erik ten Hag (2022- till date)
Now, with Erik ten Hag, Manchester United once again backed a manager in his first window. They signed Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Antony, and Lisandro Martinez, which impacted the first team. The Dutchman became the first United manager since Ferguson to win a trophy and secure the top 4 in the same season.
Will ten Hag get to see the same fate of being a United manager that doesn’t get the tools to complete his job at Old Trafford? There is a reason why you have seen so many protests going on at Old Trafford against the current United owners.
