The Rise and Fall of Manchester United Football Club: What Went Wrong and How They Can Recover
I remember sitting in the Old Trafford stands back in 2013, watching Robin van Persie complete his hat-trick against Aston Villa as we clinched our 20th league title. The stadium vibrated with that particular Manchester United energy - a cocktail of legacy, expectation, and pure footballing joy. Fast forward to today, and I find myself relating a bit too much to Magnolia Hotshots coach Chito Victolero's recent comment about prioritizing his own team's game over watching other matches. "Hindi muna ako manonood. May game kami, e," he said, and honestly? That's become my approach to watching United these days - I'd rather focus on other teams because watching my own club has become too painful.
The decline didn't happen overnight. After Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, we entered what I call the "post-traumatic success disorder" phase. We kept trying to recreate the Ferguson magic without understanding what made it work. David Moyes inherited a championship squad but lost the dressing room within months. Louis van Gaal brought discipline but sacrificed the attacking football that defined United. José Mourinho delivered trophies but left the club fractured. Ole Gunnar Solskjær restored the soul but couldn't fix the structure. Each appointment felt like putting different branded tires on a car with engine trouble - the surface changed, but the fundamental problems remained.
What went wrong at Manchester United? Let me count the ways, and I say this as someone who's followed this club since the 90s. First, the Glazer ownership treated the club as a cash cow rather than a football institution. While Manchester City built a proper football structure and Liverpool hired modern data-driven specialists, we were stuck with Ed Woodward, an investment banker making football decisions. Our transfer strategy became a joke - we spent £890 million on players between 2014-2020, but can you name one proper success from that period? Maybe Bruno Fernandes, but he arrived later. The recruitment lacked any coherent philosophy. We'd buy Paul Pogba for £89 million, then pair him with managers who didn't know how to use him.
The coaching carousel reminds me of that Victolero quote in another way - we became so focused on our own "game" that we failed to see how football was evolving around us. While clubs like Liverpool implemented clear pressing systems and City perfected positional play, we kept changing tactical approaches with every new manager. The squad became a collection of players suited to different systems rather than a cohesive unit. Our wage structure spiraled out of control - we're paying £350,000 weekly to a player who can't make the starting eleven regularly. The academy production line that gave us the Class of '92 has been inconsistent at best. The training facilities, once the envy of Europe, have fallen behind competitors. I visited Carrington last year, and compared to what City and Liverpool have built, it's like comparing a budget hotel to a five-star resort.
Here's what I believe needs to happen, drawing from my experience consulting with several football clubs on organizational structure. First, the Glazers need to either invest properly or sell. None of this half-measure stuff. Second, we need a proper football structure with a sporting director who has a clear philosophy and the power to execute it. Look at how Liverpool built their success around Michael Edwards - we need our version. Third, we must stop the managerial merry-go-round. Give Erik ten Hag or whoever comes next proper time and backing. Ferguson wasn't built in a day - he had three rocky years before the success started flowing.
The recruitment strategy needs complete overhaul. We should be identifying players who fit a specific system, not just chasing big names. Look at Brighton - they spend fractions of what we do but consistently find players who improve their squad. Our data analytics department needs massive investment - we're reportedly operating with about 40% of the staff that Liverpool has in their analytics team. The commercial side needs to stop driving football decisions. Yes, those noodle partnerships in Indonesia are great for revenue, but they don't help us defend set-pieces.
Player development requires immediate attention. We've had exactly one academy graduate become a regular starter in the past five years - that's unacceptable for Manchester United. The women's team, despite having tremendous potential, remains underfunded compared to rivals. The stadium needs renovations that respect its history while meeting modern standards. There's talk about needing £200 million just to bring Old Trafford up to date - that investment is crucial.
What can other clubs learn from United's decline? Simple - football success requires football people making football decisions. You can't run a club like a hedge fund and expect sustained sporting success. The game has evolved, and clubs that fail to adapt get left behind. Victolero's approach of focusing on his own team's needs first contains wisdom - we became so obsessed with commercial growth and global branding that we forgot the fundamental truth that football matches are won on the pitch, not in boardrooms.
Recovery won't be quick. If we start making smart decisions now, I estimate we're looking at a 3-5 year rebuilding process. But here's the hopeful part - the foundation remains strong. The global fanbase, the history, the commercial power - these are assets most clubs would kill for. What we need is competent stewardship. I still believe the sleeping giant can awaken, but it requires acknowledging how far we've fallen and committing to the hard work of rebuilding rather than seeking quick fixes. The rise and fall of Manchester United contains lessons for every organization - stay true to your core values while evolving with the times, or risk becoming a cautionary tale.
