Manchester United have been humiliated after a quote from former manager David Moyes came back to haunt Erik ten Hag. The Red Devils have suffered a miserable campaign during the Dutchman’s second season in charge at Old Trafford and have already lost a whopping seven Premier League matches.
United had been enjoying a temporary upturn in fortunes ahead of their clash with Bournemouth on Saturday after winning four of their previous five Premier League matches. But they were brought back down to earth at Old Trafford as they whimpered to a 3-0 defeat against the Cherries.
The result leaves United 10 points behind leaders Liverpool and with more defeats to their name than any other side in the top 10. And their precipitous fall from grace has been a decade in the making.
United were once the top dogs in the Premier League as they racked up 13 titles under Sir Alex Ferguson. But since his retirement in 2013, the north west giants have faltered time and time again.
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Ferguson was replaced by Moyes in the Old Trafford hotseat as the Red Devils attempted to transition into a new era. But the ex-Everton manager struggled to make an impact in Manchester as his side were cut 12 points adrift of leaders Arsenal by early December.
On December 9, Moyes spoke to reporters following United’s back-to-back 1-0 defeats against Everton and Newcastle. And the Red Devils X (formerly Twitter) account outlined the Scot’s concerns as the admins posted: “David Moyes says #mufc must improve in a number of areas, including passing, creating chances and defending.”
Moyes couldn’t come up with the answers though as he was sacked the following April. But his downfall has only been mirrored by each one of his successors. Louis van Gaal came and went after landing an FA Cup, with Jose Mourinho bagging the club a Europa League trophy and a League Cup trophy. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was unable to clinch any silverware, with Ten Hag adding to the trophy cabinet last season in the form of another League Cup. But, with the exception of United’s current boss, every manager has ultimately ended up being dismissed.
United have been way off the pace in the Premier League and the Champions League over the last decade despite spending hundreds of millions of pounds to bring in a string of big-name players. And they have finished outside the top four on five occasions since Ferguson’s departure. Their rare cup successes have not been the medicine United fans demand, and patience is running thin at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag’s team look no better than Moyes’ side were a decade ago and their home defeats against the likes of Brighton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth this term illustrates the lack of direction at the club. And Ten Hag may well end up following in the footsteps of the four permanent managers that went before if club chiefs decide they’ve had enough.
