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Life hasn't been easy for Manchester United since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. The legendary Scotsman spent 26 years at Manchester United and won every possible trophy. He is probably the greatest manager of all time and there little to argue about his status as the best manager in the history of English football.
Manchester United ruled the premier league under his reign and it is quite disheartening to analyze United’s performance in the top flight of English football ever since Sir Alex stepped down. It is fair to say that his successor; David Moyes couldn’t do wonders at Old Trafford as he was sacked just 10 months after his appointment. Manchester United had a dismal season under him and finished seventh in the table. This remains their worst Premier League season ever since its inception in 1992.
Louis Van Gaal, a man with a lot of promise replaced Moyes but things didn’t turn out really pleasant for him either as his style of play was not effective at United. Despite bringing loads of world-class talents, the team lacked charisma and the Dutchman was released of his duties.
Then came the 'Special One': Jose Mourinho. It is harsh to call Jose’s time with the Manchester club a failure but Manchester United’s performances under him were hardly pleasing
The Portuguese helped United win trophies but they could not challenge for the Premier League title under him. After a series of disappointing results, Manchester United parted company with him this season.
However, there were some good moments too. Some displays which surely brought a smile backs on the United supporters’ faces. Here we rank down the top 10 Manchester United moments Post-Fergie era.
#10 Zlatan scoring the winner against Southampton in the EFL Cup final
In 2017, Manchester United travelled to Wembley for the EFL Cup final against Southampton. The match was the first of three finals Manchester United played under Jose Mourinho.
While things started well for the red devils as they took a 2-0 lead through goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jesse Lingard. However, The Saints pulled one back just on the edge of halftime through Manolo Gabddiadini
The Italian scored again in the second half as Southampton drew level and the game became extremely intense from there. Neither team was willing to take any risk as the cup was on the line.
When it looked like the match will go into extra-time, Zlatan stepped up. The Swede scored an 87th-minute winner and led United to the EPL Cup trophy.
#9 Anthony Martial’s debut goal vs Liverpool
Anthony Martial's transfer from AS Monaco to Manchester United created quite a stir as the football fans couldn't really understand why Manchester United paid a hefty amount of £36 million to land the services of the young French forward. Martial did show glimpses of excellence at Monaco but nothing spectacular that warranted that price tag.
In September 2015, when Manchester United hosted Liverpool in an encounter at Old Trafford, the Red Devils under Louis Van Gaal were lacking attacking prowess and the outcome looked in doubt.
Though United was leading 2-1, they looked vulnerable as Liverpool was pressing high and causing troubles when Van Gaal brought on Martial from the bench. Not many would've expected an extraordinary debut but Martial did the spectacular and scored one of the most stunning goals in the history of this iconic fixture.
#8 A flying start under Solskjaer
Ever since Sir Alex retired, all Manchester United fans have craved for is entertaining football; which was the trademark of this iconic club. When the Scot departed, men like David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho have managed this majestic club but it's fair to say that none of them really got them playing the way they want to
While Moyes lacked flair, Van Gaal was restricted in his methods which often bought a lot of criticism in terms of the playing style of his team. Then came Jose Mourinho, who at times was brilliant with his tactics but the gameplay under his reign wasn't impressive at all.
A couple of months ago, United legend, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho. The Norwegian made United play in a fashion reminiscent of their glorious past and gave the fans something they eagerly wanted to see. Under him, the Red Devils play a brand of high tempo and attractive tile football. So far United have only lost one game under Soskjaer which was the defeat in the Champions league to PSG.
#7 Herrera's dominant display against Chelsea
Jose Mourinho might not have had a memorable stint with Manchester United but there is simply no doubt in the 'Special One ' is a mastermind in setting up a team. This quality of his was on display when United faced Mourinho's former club: Chelsea. The Blues had beaten Mourinho's men 4-0 a few months ago and this match at Old Trafford had everything on stake.
When United hosted Antonio Conte's Chelsea, they were looking to secure a double over Jose Mourinho and go closer to lifting the Premier League title. The Italian had the majestic Eden hazard in his side and but little did he know that Manchester United had a plan to stop the Belgian.
As Eden Hazard took on the field at Old Trafford, there was one man who was assigned the duty to stop the Belgian maestro and that man was the Spanish babyface: Ander Herrera.
Herrera turned in one of the most impressive performances of recent times as not only did he fulfill the task of nullifying Eden Hazard to perfection, he also scored a goal as Manchester United defeated Chelsea 2-0. To this day, fans worldwide talk about Ander Herrera's superb display on that day in April 2017.
#6 Juan Mata at Anfield
If you ask any Manchester United fan about who in their eyes is their biggest rival of the club; then the majority of them will surely say, Liverpool.
It is often said that when Manchester United face Liverpool, everyone in the country is watching.
When both giants took the center stage in March 2015, the world was watching and got to witness one of the greatest performances by a Manchester United player at Anfield through Juan Mata.
The Spaniard scored two goals in United's 2-1 victory over Liverpool. What got the fans off their seats was Mata's second goal as the Spaniard produced a moment of pure magic by scoring a remarkable scissor kick. That strike will not be forgotten for a long time by everyone who was witness to it. Mata was deservingly named the man of the match and United fans got what they crave for- A win at Anfield over Liverpool.
#5 Wayne Rooney breaking Sir Bobby Charlton's record
Over the years many great players have donned the famous United shirt but not many possess the records, the numbers and the spirit of Wayne Rooney. The Evertonian spent 14 years at Old Trafford, winning every possible trophy with the red devils.
In his long career with Manchester United, Rooney broke a monumental record that stood for nearly 40 years. The record we're talking is of the one to have scored the most number of goals for the Red Devils. Many men came and left but it was Wayne Rooney who ended up as being the greatest goalscorer in the history of Manchester United.
The former England skipper was falling out of favour at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho and it seemed like the dream of witnessing Wayne break Sir Bobby Charlton's record might not materialize. However, the sheer willpower and determination of Wayne Rooney kept United fans worldwide stayed hopeful.
The day did and came in some style. With United Trailing 1-0 to Stoke City in Injury time, Rooney scored a brilliant free kick to level the game and most importantly break the longstanding record.
#4 Robin Van Persie's hattrick vs Olympiakos in the UEFA Champions League
It was in 2014, that Manchester United found themselves in a rather unconvincing and shocking position in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League. Greek side, Olympiakos defeated United 2-0 at home in the first leg
David Moyes wasn't having a great time as the Manchester United manager and a loss against the Greek side added to his misery. A European exit was looming large as Manchester United had a tall task at Old Trafford as they trailed by two goals
However, that night, Robin Van Persie scored one of the greatest Champions League hat-trick. The Dutchman's effort helped United overturn the deficit and take the club into the Quarter-finals.
Van Persie scored his first goal through a penalty before adding the second courtesy of a magnificent pass from Wayne Rooney. He scored his last for the night with a brilliant free-kick as United completed a spectacular turnaround.
#3 Comeback win vs Pep Guardiola's Manchester City
This was the kind of moment that fans cherish for the rest of their lives! It was in April 2018, when Manchester United went to the Etihad Stadium to face their arch-rivals most importantly the league leaders, Manchester City.
Manchester City was the overwhelming favorite for this tie and they showed why but taking a 2-0 lead just half an hour into the fixture. Things looked difficult for the Red Devils as the old ghosts of their infamous 6-1 loss started to resurface.
It looked like United were staring at an ugly defeat but the likes Paul Pogba and Alexis had different plans. Mourinho's men came back into the second with an all-new approach and took on the Citizens with all everything they had. Pogba scored two quick goals to equalize before Chris Smalling scored the winner for them. United ensured that City did not clinch the title in front of their faces.
#2 Jesse Lingard's winner in the FA Cup final
It was on 21st May 2016, when Manchester United walked out to a packed crowd at Wembley, to face Crystal Palace for the FA Cup final. Until that date, United had not won the competition for almost 10 years and it seemed like this was their moment to bring home the FA Cup for the 12th time in their history.
Crystal Palace had a memorable run into the final and United were wary of their opponents. Louis Van Gaal didn't take any risks by starting his best 11 on the night.
The match was evenly tilted as Crystal Palace did put on an impressive show against them. Palace was the team to break the deadlock through Jason Puncheon, whose goal handed the Eagles a salient lead in the final.
United desperately needed a goal back and Juan Mata came to the rescue after a good piece of combination play with Wayne Rooney. With the score stuck at 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes, the game went on to extra time.
It was academy graduate Jesse Lingard who smashed a sensational winner for United and secured the club's first trophy after Sir Alex's retirement.
#1 Europa League triumph
Without a doubt, the number one moment is the famous Europa League triumph in 2017. The Red Devils captured the Europa Cup for the first time in their history at Sweden's Friends Arena.
Manchester United faced a resilient Ajax side in the final in a bid to win the Europa League. This game was arguably the biggest match in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson's era for the Red Devils. This was not only because of the opportunity to win a European trophy but also because a place in the Champions League was at stake
United had an eventful run into the final. Mourinho's men came up against an impressive Celta Vigo side in the semi-finals, who proved to be extremely tricky opponents for them. Despite easy draws on paper, it was not an easy journey for them to reach to the final.
Manchester United were heavy favorites for the title and they lived up the hype. The 20-time English Champions beat their opponents 2-0 through goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
