Problem
- Style of play is not pleasing, nor attuned to United’s tradition
- His comments are often barbed and hostile in some quarters
- He has complaints – often legitimate – of not being allowed the funds in the transfer market
- He feels he is not being given the backing of the board
- He is not getting on with some players – though in some cases such as Shaw, he was indeed overweight
Meanwhile, the Glazers, who have leveraged large debts on the club, have not provided the proper vision and direction for it to succeed.
Yes, many trophies have been won under them. But largely in spite of them, and not because of them. The brilliance of Sir Alex has been a major factor, including the FA Cup under van Gaal, and League Cup and Europa League under Mourinho.
However, there has been a tendency to focus more on United’s brand, and immense revenue generating capacity, over winning.
The tenure of Ed Woodward, the club’s Executive Vice-President, also has come under fire for not providing a proper vision, and not handling transfers well enough.
Solution
As a non-Man United fan, I’m not interested in his staying, or not, in honesty.
Though I believe he is one of the best managers of all-time. His achievements at Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale, Real Madrid, and Manchester United (where he has had success), stand as a legend.
However, his needs as a manager are not conducive to the structure and club strategy.
He has said that he’s just a head coach, and not a manager in the traditional sense, holding control of all footballing matters. Until this changes, he may need to go, or move on to a better opportunity elsewhere.
Change the board.
Glazers must sell.
These may seem simplistic, but they would solve the issue.
Nonetheless, the Glazers selling their interest to another may cause additional problems. Who is to say the next owners would be better? They could be like Mike Ashley (not investing bare the minimum), Kroenke (similar model to the Glazers, but focusing too on revenues and not competition), or as a best case FSG (increasing Anfield, hiring Klopp, and enabling top spending). Though even “good” owners like ENIC at Tottenham have come under flak, namely for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium debacle.
If the board is to stay, and the owners, then they need to be more open with their vision, and state clearly how they wish to invest in the club or ensure the club remains successful.
The structure also must change, since there needs to be a greater focus on footballing success.
Arsenal is often seen as being in a similar boat to United since both clubs are seeking to transition from long-standing managers. However, Wenger at the end of this tenure was failing. Sir Alex left at the top, literally, since United were champions at that stage. Arsenal thus have the motivation to ensure they get competitive, and there are more things needing fixing, and more impetus to fix them. Appointing Emery (a known tactical/meticulous manager), Sven Mislintat (head of recruitment formerly at Borussia Dortmund), and Raul Sanhelli (head of football relations formerly at Barca), are all key components in the defined “catalyst for change”).