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Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in England and the world of football. The allure of playing for a club with a rich history is a huge plus and one of the motivators for players looking to join. United enjoy a huge following across the globe and have tremendous financial pedigree.
The club has won trophies and honours on all fronts of club football. Fans expect the side to compete at the highest levels every season. Majority of the club's success in the last 20 years has come under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson. He won 13 Premier League titles while at the helm and two European Cups.
Upon his retirement, United had established themselves as one of the more dominant forces domestically and in Europe. Replacing him was always going to be a gamble. As it turned out, Ferguson left a huge gap that three managers have tried to fill.
David Moyes, a handpicked successor, endured a torrid time as his mere eight-month tenure brought nothing but irreparable damage to the club. Under Louis van Gaal, it was the kind of negative football and back passing that highlighted his reign. This was in total contrast to the high octane attacking system Ferguson instilled for decades.
Currently, United face different kinds of problems that need to be addressed or resolved when the season is still young. Some of these problems could turn the fortunes of the club around if tackled and make United great again.
#3 Player-manager tussles
It is no secret that Jose Mourinho has in the past has lashed out at his own players. He has on many occasions shifted blame to certain players and subsequently dropped them from his teams.
Quite simply, the Portuguese handles his business in a manner he finds fit regardless of which feathers he ruffles in the process. In Real Madrid, he had an issue with star goalkeeper Iker Casillas and phased him out of the team despite him being Madrid's best goalkeeper. He was willing to jeopardize the team's stability as a result.
In United, he has been at loggerheads with Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial. This resulted in the two being benched. Martial and Marcus Rashford's progression have been hampered by Mourinho's decision to play Alexis Sanchez who has constantly underperformed.
#2 Sporting Director
In modern football, a sporting director is imperative in managing the club's affairs. Top clubs with such a person have shown great stability. At United, the lack of one has resulted in great conflicts.
In the club's hierarchy, there is the board, Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward and the manager Jose Mourinho. Underneath him, there is no assistant manager but only a handful of coaches.
This presents a problem as a sporting director would act as the go-to person in all sporting related activities. This would lift a huge burden off the manager who has to think about transfers, having the right staff and coaches on top handling the team.
A sporting director would chip in and get heavily involved with the transfer affairs and leave Woodward to handle the off-field matters. The manager's task would be to prepare the team. Teams such as Manchester City and Bayern Munich have all embraced this modus operandi.
#1 Attitude and tactics
United players do not possess the consistent winning mindset that is associated with playing for the club. Ferguson used to inspire fire in the hearts of the players. They would dedicate themselves to winning even their backs were against the wall.
Since he left, the team's attitude and mentality have never been the same. This is reflected in the style of play. On one end, United would struggle to break down minor opposition on home turf. On the other end, they could visit the Emirates of the Etihad and secure comeback wins.
This inconsistency has greatly affected the team with calls for more attacking displays. Fans have been accustomed to not to know what to expect from the team. United need to show more bravery in order to return the fear factor. At the moment, most teams regardless of their pedigree have the belief that they have a chance when it is Manchester United on the other end.
