Untold United: The Downfall of Britain's Biggest Club, Volume 2 — The Farce of the False Messiahs

Manchester United's post-Ferguson era has unfolded as a saga of upheaval, missteps and public misfires, culminating in the latest managerial dismissal that underscored a decade of instability. Ruben Amorim was sacked after 116 days in charge, following a 2-1 defeat at West Ham that left United 14th in the Premier League standings. The departure capped a season already defined by chaotic decision making, high expectations and a recruitment strategy that repeatedly failed to align with on pitch needs. The club has since begun a search for a successor while contending with the financial and reputational toll of years of turnover.

The timeline of Uniteds recent crisis stretches back to the ripples created when Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. In December 2021, the arrival of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager featured a quiet confidence that he could influence the next era, potentially as a kingmaker. He suggested a longer term collaboration if the club asked for his opinion, yet in practice he neither secured the job nor had a say in the eventual appointment of Erik ten Hag, who would deliver the clubs modern reset. Ten Hag and Rangnick had never met in person prior to the leadership handover, and the two men shared little more than a brief phone exchange and a couple of WhatsApp messages. The clash between a club seeking a fresh start and a hierarchy hampered by indecision grew into a defining strain of Uniteds governance.

Two contrasting figures then dominated the club’s narrative. Rangnick lingered as a symbol of the chaotic interim era, characterized by frequent changes, inconsistent strategies and a leadership group that manned the ship with varying levels of clarity. He presided over a group of assistants and analysts whose roles and influence were continually questioned by players and staff. By contrast, Ten Hag arrived with a precise blueprint drawn from Ajax and a reputation for meticulous attention to detail. He demanded changes that went beyond tactics, touching on culture, discipline and the everyday routines of players.

Ten Hag quickly established a different tone from his predecessor. His unveiling featured a direct engagement with the club’s press and an expectation that reporters be seated in the front row for the moment of truth. He arrived with a reputation for rigorous preparation, including emphasis on the structure of the training ground and the ways in which teams should prepare across travel and match preparation. Yet the early months also exposed deep fault lines within Uniteds squad and its management, notably around Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal star's departure from the team during Ten Hags first year began as a quiet pressure campaign but quickly escalated into a public rift that colored Uniteds trajectory. Ronaldo, who had returned to Old Trafford with fanfare, pressed for a role that the manager felt did not fit the teams pressing and collective demands. His disagreements with Ten Hag culminated in a high profile interview and the eventual termination of his contract, a turning point that both relieved and unsettled the squad in equal measure.

Ten Hag moved swiftly to impose a discipline rooted in a comprehensive regime. Alcohol was banned during match weeks, weigh-ins became routine, a mobile phone ban during meals was enforced, and dress code rules were tightened. The changes extended to logistical decisions such as moving the home and away dugouts to optimize the players’ tunnel experience and installing advanced briefing rooms and privacy walls at Carrington. These changes cost roughly 200,000 pounds each and reflected Ten Hags broader aim to turn United into a highly professional, modernized operation capable of competing in the top tier of European football. Despite these structural reforms, the teams form remained volatile while the recruitment process produced mixed results, including high profile but costly acquisitions that did not always translate into on pitch success.

The clubs recruitment strategy under Ten Hag drew scrutiny. United targeted Frenkie de Jong but pivoted to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid for a substantial fee after an expensive and ultimately unsuccessful chase for the Dutch midfielder. The club also paid a premium for Antony from Ajax, a signing later criticized as overpaying for a player who did not consistently justify his price tag. Those moves reflected a broader pattern of overpaying for targets and a reliance on a core of players with Dutch links who had previously worked with Ten Hag. The squad that formed around this core also included Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia, while several other players linked to the US managers personal circle joined the club, raising questions about long term planning and alignment with the clubs broader recruitment strategy.

Off the field, the Ten Hag era was marked by protracted tensions with several star players and the wider squad. The ongoing friction with Marcus Rashford, Diogo Dalot and Antony, as well as the high profile case of Jadon Sancho, exposed underlying cultural problems and a perception that the club had lost its way in developing talent from its academy.

The 2023-24 season provided a stark illustration of the clubs instability. A string of disappointing results coincided with a shift in personnel and a controversial approach to leadership, as United pursued large signings from Ten Hags network. Sancho was sidelined for months amid public disputes with the manager, and a public rift with Rashford flared following late night incidents and training absences. Garnacho, another academy product with significant potential, briefly fell out of favor, before the club sought to reintegrate him under pressure to balance development with results. The season culminated in a Europa League final in Bilbao that ended in a defeat to a lower profile Tottenham-side, denying United a faux fairytale ending and further underscoring the scale of the clubs challenges.

The revolving door of managers and the high cost of turnover extended into the summer of 2024. Under pressure to secure a return to the Champions League and domestic success, the club transitioned to an appointment that reflected the ownerships ambition to recast operating principles around one of footballs rising coaches. Ruben Amorim, the Sporting Lisbon boss known for reviving a traditional European club with a modern approach, was brought in with expectations of turning United into a quick transitional team capable of pressing aggressively and rapidly recovering possession. The club pursued a three year plan while also addressing a preexisting backlog of issues in recruitment and player development. Amorims introduction was marked by public assessments of the clubs standing, with a strong emphasis on a modern attacking identity while maintaining a disciplined defensive structure.

Uniteds transfer strategy under Amorim stayed ambitious. The club signed a pair of No 10s in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, aiming to recreate a fluid attacking shape behind a recognised center forward. The signings pushed Bruno Fernandes into a more withdrawn midfield role, a move that drew criticism for potentially diminishing one of the teams most influential leaders on the pitch. The timing of these moves coincided with the departures of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the first team at various points during the season, along with the sale or loan of other players who had featured prominently under previous regimes. The net effect was a squad that carried significant risk with a leadership vacuum in wide and forward roles and a midfield that seemed unbalanced by the pursuit of two playmakers behind a central striker.

The new approach did not immediately translate into strong results. Amorim publicly acknowledged the teams struggles and, in a moment of evident emotion, described the squad as one of the worst in Uniteds modern history at a time when the club faced renewed scrutiny over their identity and strategic direction. His candid assessments, combined with the teams on pitch struggles, led to a volatile environment that spilled over into dressing room dynamics and public perception. Internal communication tensions were intensified by the involvement of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his investment group, Ineos, which had hoped to bring stability. Brailsford, the cycling executive brought in for a strategic review, and Jason Wilcox, along with Jean-Claude Blanc, led discussions about the managers future, including potential candidates such as Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi. The process exposed a boardroom imprecision and a reluctance to commit to long term plans, even after a pivotal Europa League result and a domestic performance that failed to meet expectations.

The volume of compensation paid to managers and coaching staff since Fergusons retirement has underscored a broader cost of instability. Estimates cited in the notes place the figure at more than 54 million pounds, illustrating the financial impact of a succession of leadership changes on a club that has long prided itself on stability and a consistent footballing philosophy. Amid the managerial churn and the constant search for a sustainable model, Uniteds ownership groups sought to balance the need for a credible on pitch project with the desire to protect their commercial and brand interests in a fiercely competitive market.

Amorims tenure thus became a case study in the limits of strategic turnover. After the Grimsby Town catastrophe in the Carabao Cup and a string of disappointing results in the Premier League, the club faced a public reckoning about tactical philosophy and the viability of a system that leaned on a 3-4-2-1 formation with two No 10s behind the main striker. The system proved difficult for the squad to implement, and opposition sides quickly adapted to neutralize its strengths while exposing its vulnerabilities, particularly when the team attempted to build from the back or pressed high without reliable ball progression from central areas. Amorim acknowledged the challenges and the need for patience, but the clubs leadership ultimately opted to part ways in a decision that reflected the ongoing tension between a coachs vision and the teams readiness to adopt it.

The club remains in a period of transition as it searches for a new coach who can deliver both immediate results and a clear, sustainable identity. The ownership group has signaled a willingness to take time to evaluate options, yet the emotional and financial costs of the recent upheaval will weigh on any choice. For supporters, the hope is that the next appointment can deliver the right mix of discipline, clarity and ambition that has proven elusive during the years since Ferguson left the club. The current moment is unlikely to be the end of Uniteds travails, but it may mark a turning point if the next leadership core commits to a coherent plan that outlives management changes and returns the club to the upper echelons of English and European football.