Sir Alex Ferguson (left) and David Gill attending a Man Utd match. Photo: Reuters

The decline that follows a glorious, extended reign is not uncommon. In 2013, not only did Alex Ferguson bid farewell, but Man Utd also suffered a significant loss when Chief Executive David Gill stepped down. Simultaneously, the club lost both its soul and its brain.

However, Man Utd's current decline primarily stems from complacency and poor management by those who took over, rather than the departing figures. Successors needed to be not only willing but also capable of embracing the challenges and pressures at Old Trafford. They required a proper and comprehensive plan, tasked with finding suitable individuals not just for the manager's seat, but also for key roles in the club's upper management.

More than a decade later, observers still question Man Utd's strategy and the club's vision. Attributing responsibility solely to Ferguson is an evasion of accountability, starting with the Glazer family, and extending to directors like Ed Woodward and Richard Arnold—individuals appointed despite limited capabilities. They failed and are the ones who bear responsibility.

Over 12 years, Man Utd has not improved; in fact, each year has been worse than the last. Under Ferguson, the team won the premier league 13 times in 26 years, establishing the club as a unique entity, one of the most coveted brands globally. However, the club's leaders squandered this legacy through arrogance and ill-considered spending. The chaos at Man Utd, both on and off the pitch, is a product of the past decade, not the era before it.

The notion that Ferguson left behind a team in worse shape than Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool is an unfounded and inaccurate comparison. Many argue that Sir Alex's final premier league title in the 2012-2013 season, secured four rounds early, was achieved with players past their prime. This may be true for Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, or Patrice Evra.

However, other players were certainly not past their peak, including Wayne Rooney, who was 27 years old at the time. If Rooney declined, it was his own fault, not the manager's. Furthermore, Ferguson invested significantly in younger talents. In 2011, the Scottish manager initiated a major overhaul, aiming to reduce the squad's average age to 24. Sir Alex's final signings included Wilfried Zaha, 21 years old, and Shinji Kagawa, 23 years old. These were quality players with high potential. Additionally, Ferguson placed trust in academy products like Danny Welbeck and Jonny Evans.

While some players did not meet expectations, this was not Ferguson's fault. It was the club's and his successor managers' responsibility. The 2012-2013 season victory was not a stroke of luck or solely dependent on Robin van Persie, as Ferguson won the league five times in the final seven seasons of his career.

Sir Alex Ferguson (right) with striker Robin van Persie and the 2012-2013 premier league trophy. Photo: Reuters

Upon handing over the squad, Ferguson spoke of a balance between generations, veterans and new signings, experience and youth. He believed that squad remained vibrant, "promising to maintain success at the highest level." Time proved this optimism excessive, and the Man Utd squad at that time was far from the peak Ferguson had once created.

However, concluding that Sir Alex's legacy is the root of the problem is illogical. There were certainly mistakes, including infrastructure gaps—partially due to power being concentrated in one person's hands for too long, while football evolved rapidly. Nevertheless, Man Utd could have maintained its "giant" status if it had made the right decisions. But they failed to do so, leading to their downfall. Man Utd possesses enormous resources but lacks sufficient and capable leadership.

If there is a fault, Ferguson's error lies in making Man Utd too famous for its extraordinary achievements. The 13 premier league titles, 5 FA cups, and 2 champions league trophies he brought were meant to inspire his successors, but instead became immense pressure, fostering an invisible fear of being unable to escape Ferguson's legendary shadow.

In some respects, the players Sir Alex left behind were not a force for the future. They won the league in Ferguson's final season, but it was the last brilliant performance of a generation that aged too quickly. Van Persie was brought in for short-term success, while Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, and Welbeck could not elevate their game.

Whether Jones, Smalling, or any other player proved unworthy of Sir Alex's trust is not the core issue. Those individuals are a story from 12 years ago. With the resources available from the Man Utd brand, a successor to Sir Alex should have been able to build their own championship-winning team. Or they could have come close, had the "red devils" operated more rationally.

Sir Alex Ferguson (right) shakes hands with coach Ruben Amorim after a Man Utd match against Brighton at Old Trafford in 1/2025. Photo: Reuters

The real problem Sir Alex left behind was the Man Utd system itself. In other words, there was no system at all at the "theatre of dreams"!

Fergie managed Man Utd like a king ruling a medieval court. He held control over everything. All major and minor decisions had to go through him. The Glazer family, somewhat wary of Fergie, allowed him free rein. Sir Alex's brilliance lay in knowing what he was doing, including generating profits for the owners.

Meanwhile, the rest of the football world entered a new era, modern and highly specialized, striving to catch up with Man Utd. Clubs like Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and other European teams established new models, recruiting and valuing the input of professional directors, recruitment departments, and data analysis specialists.

At Man Utd, everything still revolved around Ferguson. He decided everything, from who to sign, which players to sell, to the club's media policy. During Sir Alex's time, he forbade the team from creating an official Twitter account because he did not want players distracted by news and comments on social media, instead maintaining traditional communication via text messages. In an increasingly complex football world, Sir Alex was like an old knight, solitary on his journey to lead Man Utd.

Therefore, when he left, nothing was prepared. The executive directors brought in by the Glazer family were not adequately trained or updated, especially in the commercial aspect, amidst the constant evolution of football. They focused on finding as many partners as possible and believed opening a Twitter account was more important than modernizing the scouting process. Similarly, the data analysis department and the upgrading of training facilities to suit the modern era were neglected. As Cristiano Ronaldo put it, he felt "time at Man Utd stood still."

Not only CR7, but Jose Mourinho and Ralf Rangnick also spoke about serious behind-the-scenes issues, including outdated infrastructure. They did not mention Ferguson leaving a team with a key center-back, Ferdinand, suffering from arthritis. Nor did they complain about the pressure, as that is a given. They spoke of a system so weak it was disastrous, obscured by the greatness of one man.

The truth is that Ruben Amorim, or any coach who takes over Man Utd next, has been, is, and will be facing the harsh consequences of incredibly poor management from the owners at Old Trafford—owners who are still struggling to adapt to the post-Sir Alex era.

Vy Anh (according to Telegraph)