Very little has gone right for the struggling Red Devils since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, after claiming his 13th Premier League title
Replacing Ferguson with Moyes It was always going to be a difficult task finding a worthy successor to Sir Alex Ferguson after his incredible success at Old Trafford but there's no denying that United erred badly in turning to the Scot's compatriot and preferred candidate, David Moyes, in the summer of 2013. According to former Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand, Moyes was too keen to impress his authority on the club and over-stretched himself. "David Moyes' hands were on everything," the ex-England international told BT Sport. "He was involved in the scouting, he was involved in the analysis of opposing teams, the physiotherapy, the doctors. He was involved in taking every training session. He was involved in every team meeting, every video that was being done. "You can do that at a club like Everton, where the demands are not as big, but at Manchester United, you've got to delegate." The end result was calamitous. Moyes was sacked just 10 months into a six year-contract and replaced on an interim basis by Ryan Giggs with the reigning champions United languishing in seventh place in the Premier League standings.
Hiring Louis van Gaal Van Gaal's stock had risen after leading Netherlands to a third-placed finish at the 2014 World Cup but, despite some success stories, his time at Old Trafford was a tale of tedium. The Dutchman led United back into the Champions League, in 2015, and lifted the FA Cup the following year. However, even a Wembley win over Crystal Palace wasn't enough to spare him from the sack. His painfully slow style of possession-orientated football had long become a source of immense frustration among the Old Trafford faithful, with United netting just 49 goals on their way to a disappointing fifth-placed finish in 2015-16, meaning many fans were glad to see the back of Van Gaal.
Signing Angel Di Maria Alongside fellow new signings Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria was supposed to help transform United's fortunes under Van Gaal, after the disaster that was Moyes. With three goals and a swag of assists in his first five Premier League games, it looked like the Argentine attacker was already on his way to becoming an Old Trafford legend. But Di Maria did not score for the club again, as it quickly became clear he wasn't enjoying his time in Manchester. The player wanted to leave by the end of his first season and eventually secured a passage to Paris Saint-Germain, where he still remains today. The blame for the failure of Di Maria's spell at Old Trafford should probably be shared between the club and the player but there's no doubting that his decision to leave represented an ominous sign of United's rapidly diminshing appeal to top talent.
Giving up on Depay and Zaha Young attackers Memphis Depay and Wilfried Zaha joined United at different times, with the former signed by Van Gaal for the 2015-16 season, while Zaha was acquired by Ferguson and loaned back to Crystal Palace before being welcomed back into the squad under Moyes. It was clear neither player was completely ready to be a regular starter but their natural talent was obvious, so both should have been kept on the books while benefiting from first-team football elsewhere. Indeed, since leaving Old Trafford, both players have developed significantly, with Lyon ace Depay having become a key man for Netherlands, and Palace star Zaha now regarded as one of the most dangerous dribblers in the Premier League.
Snapping up Schneiderlin After starring for Southampton and earning regular France call-ups, Morgan Schneiderlin transferred to the Theatre of Dreams in July 2015 for a fee of £25 million ($32m). However, it was evident very early on that the man Louis van Gaal thought could anchor the United midfield for years to come was out of his depth at Old Trafford. Schneiderlin was sold to Everton by Van Gaal's successor, Jose Mourinho, in January 2017 and has yet to recapture his Southampton form.
Re-signing Paul Pogba United re-signed Paul Pogba from Juventus for a then world-record fee of €105m (£89.5m/$116m) in August 2016 – four years after he left Old Trafford for Turin on a free transfer. While the Frenchman has arguably been the club's best player during his three years at the club, he has been involved in a number of controversial episodes. There was constant tension with Jose Mourinho, which ultimately led to the manager stripping the midfielder of the vice-captaincy and dropping him to the bench for big games, most infamously the loss at Liverpool last year that proved the Portuguese's last game in charge. The World Cup winner caused further controversy and upset many fans by publicly announcing that he wanted a new challenge away from Manchester United prior to this season. A move never materialised but that hasn't brought an end to the constant speculation and debate over Pogba's future at the club.
Moving for Mkhitaryan Following three quality seasons at Borussia Dortmund, featuring 23 goals in his final campaign in 2015-16, Henrikh Mkhitaryan looked an excellent addition for Mourinho's United for a fee in the region of £26m ($33m). However, the Armenian got injured on his first start, against Manchester City, and didn't bag his first goal until December. By that stage, Mourinho had serious questions about the new man's defensive work-rate. Mkhitaryan was eventually off-loaded to Arsenal as part of a swap deal for Alexis Sanchez, in January 2018, but he also struggled at the Emirates before moving on to Roma during the summer.
Beating City to Sanchez Beating Manchester City to the signing of Arsenal ace Alexis Sanchez in January 2018 was considered a major coup for United, viewed by optimistic fans as evidence that their club was back on track in their bid to silence their noisy neighbours. However, United ultimately ended up embarrassed by the four-and-half year, £350,000-per-week contract they handed the Chilean. Sanchez struggled dismally at Old Trafford, scoring three goals in 32 league matches, before being shipped out on loan to Inter this summer. He continues to be a drain on their resources and, thus, a painful reminder of the reckless spending that has defined the Woodward era.
Buying Fred Fred became United's fourth most expensive signing ever when he joined from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 for a fee in the region of £52.5 million. Given the Brazilian had previously been pursued by Manchester City, there was much excitement over the midfielder's acquisition at Old Trafford. However, Fred has failed dismally to prove his worth to United and has also since lost his place in the Selecao squad.
Offloading Daley Blind Daley Blind filled a number of roles during his four seasons at Old Trafford, including left-back, centre-back and defensive midfield. However, he was never trusted enough to make one single position his own and was eventually frozen out of the first-team squad by Mourinho. Since leaving United, Blind has gone on to play a pivotal role in Ajax's resurgence, including their remarkable run to the Champions League semi-finals last season. With United's obvious lack of leaders and current injury crisis, it's hard not to feel that Blind would have been a very useful player for the Red Devils.
Sacking Jose Mourinho There was general amusement when Mourinho said finishing second in the league with United in 2017-18 was one his greatest career achievements. But who could disagree with that statement after looking at the Red Devils' league results before and after that campaign? Despite a brief renaissance under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, there is no doubt the team was travelling better on the field while under Mourinho's watch. And you could also argue the Red Devils hierarchy would have been better off throwing their full support and vast resources behind Mourinho and his attempts to lead the club forward rather than embracing Solskjaer and United's glorious past.
Giving Phil Jones a new contract Phil Jones has been a solid servant for Manchester United over the past eight years, winning the Premier League title, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League. But you have to question the wisdom of giving an increasingly bit-part player a new, four-and-half year deal in February. Despite being fit, Jones has only played 90 minutes this season in the victory over Astana in the Europa League, and 45 minutes in the League Cup win over Rochdale. He hasn't played a single minute of Premier League football, which only raises further question marks over the powers that be at Old Trafford and their squad management.
Appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer There is no doubt that the decision to appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hasn't yet been vindicated. After giving the Norwegian the job on a permanent basis after a sensational run of results as interim boss, culminating in that famous Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, the former striker is now under intense pressure. United failed to finish in the top four after a dreadful finish to last sseason and are presently in the midst of their wost-ever start to a Premier League campaign. Solskjaer is a club legend from his playing days and his positive demeanour represented a breath of fresh of air after the doom and gloom of Mourinho's final days at the helm. But the fact remains that his managerial experience consists of a failed stint in the Premier League with Cardiff City and seven years with Norway's Molde. Doubts over his credentials to turn the situation around are mounting with each passing defeat.
Not replacing Lukaku, Sanchez or Herrera Three first-team players – Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera – left United in the off-season without being replaced. The Red Devils spent big to acquire defenders Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, while Daniel James was signed with an eye to the future. However, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial already struck down by injury this season, Solskjaer's squad has already been stretched to such an extent that the 17-year-old Mason Greenwood is being brought on to try to influence matches. And while Greenwood has demonstrated his enormous potential, and James is proving an inspired signing, it's still clear that Woodward and United once again failed to adequately strengthen the squad during a transfer window.
Going back to the club's 'roots' By bringing Solskjaer back to Old Trafford, United were clearly trying to evoke positive memories of the Ferguson era, and create new ones. After several seasons of dour football under Louis Van Gaal and Mourinho, the treble-winner pledged to oversee a return to the attacking style that had made United so exciting and successful in the past. The last time a major English club publicly decided to embrace their past in a desperate bid to create a brighter future, Liverpool ended up having to sack Kop idol Kenny Dalglish. In the Scot's only full season in charge, in 2011-12, Liverpool finished eighth. United may not even be so lucky if the current rot at Old Trafford is not addressed quickly...