Manchester United in Crisis: Manager, Players or the Board — Who’s Really to Blame?

Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, Manchester United have undergone a dramatic and prolonged decline. A fall from grace from the once-great “Fergie days”, when the club’s identity and “United DNA” genuinely meant something.

Since their legendary manager left in 2013, the Red Devils have cycled through countless big-money signings, elite coaches and repeated boardroom reshuffles yet United continue to sink further and further. Players have been blamed and sold. Managers have been blamed and sacked. But there is a deeper root to Manchester United’s problems than just what happens on the pitch or in the dugout, and it lies at the very core of the club.

So the question remains: who is really responsible for the decline of English football’s most decorated club?

The Manager: An Easy Target

The most immediate criticism always falls on the manager. Most recently, that blame landed on Ruben Amorim, who was sacked following a 1–1 draw against Leeds the final nail in the coffin for the Portuguese coach.

Many questioned why he was not dismissed sooner. Amorim oversaw United’s lowest-ever Premier League finish of 15th, combined with a damning Europa League final defeat to Tottenham last season. Statistically, he was the worst permanent post-Ferguson manager in the club’s history.

His win percentage stood at just 38.1% across 63 games (31.9% in the Premier League), the lowest of the six permanent managers since Sir Alex. His 1.23 points per game return also ranked bottom of that list. On paper, these numbers justify his dismissal.

Yet Amorim is far from the first to fail at Old Trafford. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Erik ten Hag all faced heavy scrutiny and ultimately failed to meet expectations. In the 12 years since Ferguson’s final league title, United have lifted just four major trophies.

Mourinho remains the most successful of the post-Fergie era, winning three trophies and boasting the best points-per-game return (1.89) and win percentage (53.8%).

Still, even his tenure followed the same familiar pattern: heavy spending, declining results and an expensive sacking.

Amorim’s dismissal alone reportedly cost the club £20 million.

Every manager bar Moyes was handed a budget exceeding £250 million, yet performances worsened and signings frequently stagnated or declined. This recurring failure points to a structural issue not simply a problem on the touchline.

The Players: Paid, Protected, Underperforming

Manchester United players also sit firmly under the spotlight. Fans care about performances above all else, and expectations of wearing the shirt remain high.

Yet the club’s wage bill estimated at £162 million per year continues to rise while standards fall.

Senior figures such as Casemiro (£350,000 per week) and captain Bruno Fernandes (£300,000 per week) remain among the league’s highest earners. Even loan players like Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho still contribute heavily to the wage structure while offering nothing on the pitch for Manchester United at the moment.

For that financial outlay, results have been unacceptable. United have dropped 14 points from winning positions this season the third-worst record in the league and suffered a humiliating Carabao Cup second-round exit to Grimsby.

Underlying numbers complicate the narrative. Based on expected goals (xG), United should be third in the league on 36 points, competing with Arsenal and Manchester City. Instead, under interim manager Darren Fletcher who has never managed a professional match they sit seventh on 32 points. This suggests Amorim may have been unlucky, with poor execution rather than poor tactics undermining his tenure.

Still, the pattern persists. Many players who struggled at Old Trafford thrived elsewhere. Ángel Di María and Romelu Lukaku were labelled failures at United, yet shone before and after leaving.

Scott McTominay, deemed “not good enough”, went on to win Serie A Player of the Season and the title with Napoli.

This points to a damaging environment one that fails to maximise talent and places players and managers at a disadvantage from the outset.

The Board: The Root of the Problem

Ultimately, managerial failure and player underperformance stem from decisions made above them.

Since Ferguson’s retirement, United have spent roughly £1.8 billion on transfers the highest net spend of any club in world football. Paul Pogba’s £89 million return in 2016 symbolises the chaos: record-breaking fees without a coherent sporting plan.

The same applies to Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount and even Cristiano Ronaldo’s return.

Despite ambition, the squad remains unbalanced. Superstar signings have repeatedly been prioritised over smart recruitment, leaving glaring gaps particularly in midfield unaddressed. Football decisions have often taken a back seat to commercial ones.

Much of this traces back to the Glazer family’s leveraged buyout in 2005, which loaded the club with £500 million in debt.

While commercial revenue now exceeds £300 million annually, over £1 billion has been spent servicing debt and paying dividends money that could have been invested in football operations and infrastructure.

Old Trafford’s visible decline reflects this neglect. Once the envy of Europe, it now suffers from leaks, decay and years of underinvestment.

Ed Woodward’s tenure epitomised the problem. Appointed despite no football background, he oversaw recruitment and managerial decisions using financial logic rather than sporting strategy. Even after his departure, instability continued highlighted by Dan Ashworth’s dismissal after just five months.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority investment brought renewed hope, with improvements at Carrington and stadium plans. But cost-cutting measures, redundancies and rising ticket prices have fuelled fan frustration. The mid-season sackings of Ten Hag and Amorim only reinforce that systemic issues remain.

Ralf Rangnick once described United as needing “open-heart surgery”. Years later, the diagnosis still stands.

Conclusion: A Club Stuck in a Cycle

There is no single individual to blame for Manchester United’s decline.

Managers, players and executives have all contributed to 12 miserable years since Sir Alex Ferguson.

But the primary issue remains ownership and governance. The board hires the wrong managers, signs players for inflated fees and wages, and sells those who later thrive elsewhere. Until United operate like a modern football club with a clear sporting vision, coherent recruitment strategy and football-first leadership this cycle of disappointment will continue.

The Glazers are not the only problem, but they are the main one. And until that changes, Manchester United’s fall from grace looks set to drag on.