The malaise at United

For years, as their empire went from strength to strength under Ferguson’s management, United were cited as the gold standard — the ultimate yardstick on the pitch and off it. To return to that line from Sean Dyche, yes, there was always glossiness about Manchester United, but there was an unmistakable earthiness too. It was a global brand with a local heart. Or, if you prefer, a local club with a global outlook.

But the Manchester United of 2023 seems less sure of itself, less comfortable in its own skin. It is no longer even comfortable in its historic Old Trafford home, which, like the team, has deteriorated under the Glazer family’s ownership.

For a decade since Ferguson’s retirement, though, United, as a club, has drifted.   He was a truly exceptional manager and a very hard act to follow.  When he had a great team he was always building the next one.   Players feared and respected him.

But one thing that is widely agreed upon is the sense of stagnation under the Glazers’ ownership: the team, the stadium, so many different strands of the club and the business.

Ten Hag has brought a certain kind of stability. But progress feels fragile now, just as it did in those positive moments under Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer. At various points over the past decade, after a fleeting upturn in results, there has been talk of a successful “reset” within the club. It has never seemed wholly convincing. But a full reset doesn’t seem possible for as long as the Glazers retain control and a culture of mediocrity persists.

The Academy

Then there is the academy. Few clubs place as much importance on youth development as United, who, beyond the fame of the Busby Babes and the Class of ’92, have named a homegrown player in their matchday squad for every competitive match since 1937. Here, too, there has been an acceptance — belated, grudging — that United spent too long standing still, living on past glories, as Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea in particular set a new standard at academy level.

Old Trafford and Carrington (Aon Training Complex)

The decline of Old Trafford can be overstated at times — it is still among the best stadiums in the Premier League — but it does show signs of neglect compared to many of the new or redeveloped facilities elsewhere. A lack of legroom is a common complaint. So too do some of the dated concourses behind the shiny facade.

The club claim to have spent £100million on the stadium in the 2010s, including £20million in 2019 (most of it on improvements to accessibility, security upgrades and hospitality areas), but the last significant project was the construction of the corner quadrants in 2006, which was signed off before the Glazers took over.

Redevelopment options are complicated by the Manchester-Liverpool railway line that runs behind the South Stand. But these challenges are described as surmountable. The big hold-up is investment.

The same goes for United’s training ground at Carrington, which was widely described as state-of-the-art when United moved there in 2000 — a drastic upgrade on their previous training ground, The Cliff, and unlike anything any of their rivals had.   It is still one of the best around, but the club want to redevelop, renovate and extend it. Again, architects have been appointed (in this case KSS). Again, the project is on hold.

For the most part, we are talking about first-world problems. Crisis talk at Manchester United is always relative; over 10 seasons that have been beyond the worst fears of any supporter or staff member, they have finished outside the Premier League’s top six once. And that year, the first after Ferguson’s retirement, they finished seventh. That is also the only time they have missed out on European qualification.

That is the thing about the modern football landscape. The biggest, most powerful clubs are now so rich — and the financial divide within the game is now so great — that it is almost impossible to fail on a grand scale. It isn’t like 50 seasons ago, when United, six years after being champions of Europe, were relegated from the old First Division.