In the 1980s, Man United used to have a slogan: "This season, the team will show seriousness!". This became a laughing stock as it appeared continuously for many seasons when the "Red Devils" tasteed defeat and lost direction. However, at that time, there was still a belief that the Old Trafford team would return to the top.
Indeed, Man United proved this to be true when Sir Alex Ferguson brought the team back to the throne with the English championship title after a 26-year wait. Under the legendary Scots, The Red Devils always showed seriousness in both playing style and results.
After Sir Alex left the coaching position in 2013, Glazer managed the team in a commercialized direction, ruining the Fergie empire that had built. For more than a decade since then, Man United's success has been very limited.
The lack of appropriate recruitment strategies is one of the main reasons for Man United's decline. After Sir Alex's time, there was a recurring cycle of coaches coming and going but failing to achieve sustainable results. Each new coaching era started with high hopes and promises but eventually collapsed, leaving a team of uncoordinated players and a team disoriented.
Erik ten Hag was in the same situation. The Dutch strategist is highly appreciated for leading Ajax to many successes. However, his third season at Old Trafford turned out to be a disaster with the worst start in Man United's history.
Highly promising players were recruited but were not effective. Ten Hag's tactical philosophy has gradually lost its mark in the team's playing style. Even when the team achieved some small successes, there was a lack of consistency, making any expectations seem too far away.
Currently, Ruben Amorim is expected to take over from Ten Hag. This brings new hope to fans as the Portuguese strategist has experience building teams from the ground up and can create changes in both playing style and team culture.
However, it is certainly not easy for Amorim to immediately turn Man United into a top title contender. The team is currently 14th in the Premier League and their performance in the Europa League is also unimpressive.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has recently made strong statements about changing the culture at the club, from the boardroom to the dressing room. While recruitment moves such as the attraction of Omar Berrada from Man City or Dan Ashworth from Newcastle are positive, it will still take time to see whether these changes can put Man United back on track for success.
The lack of consistency from the coaching room to the pitch makes Man United easily defeated in important matches. The ability to score goals is also a big problem for the team as in the last 3 seasons, their total goals were below 60 - a modest number compared to their competitors.
Man United still have promising young talents such as Alejandro Garnacho or Rasmus Hojlund, but for these players to reach their full potential, the club needs a clear and stable direction.
The past successes of teams like Liverpool, Arsenal or Aston Villa with the leadership of talented coaches like Jurgen Klopp or Mikel Arteta have proven that sustainable change can only be achieved with a long-term and reasonable development strategy.
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe announced the goal of bringing Man United back to the Premier League championship by 2028, it was both a great ambition but also full of challenges. To achieve that, the "Red Devils" need not only a talented coach, they need a solid system from the board of directors to the dressing room.
