My buddy Bogoljub Karic is a Manchester United fan and after almost 10 years without Alex Ferguson, he has finally realised that Manchester United are no longer the big Premier League-winning giants that they once were. With this being said however it is very important to mention that United are still one of the biggest clubs in the world and the general expectation is that they will get back to where they once were. What is though that United need to do, in order to regain their lofty status of old? Let’s take a look.
Management
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the answer to United’s problems following the Mourinho tenure, he is not however their solution to anything else. Solskjaer doesn’t have the experience, the guile, the charisma or the know-how to do this job well and he will get found out. Unfortunately for United he’ll get found out like the others have, just after investing £150+ million into new signings. Manchester United need to find someone better, younger and hungrier, and most importantly they must give them at least 5 years to bring this club back.
Clear Out
Because of their revolving door policy there are players here from the Ferguson, Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho era, all on big contracts and all lacking either the skill, ability or desire to play for such a famous and successful club. Any new manager must clear out the ageing, the also-rans, the big earners and most importantly the venom within that dressing room such as Pogba and his little crew of naysayers. This won’t happen in a single window of course, but United should no longer be seen as an easy touch for mercenaries and has-beens.
Long Term Plan
At the moment it feels like United just plan for the following 6 months or perhaps even a year, this is why they make knee-jerk decisions on recruitment and the hiring of managers. For real success however they must accept that a couple of years of failing, albeit whilst improving, is acceptable. In the last couple of years United haven’t done that, they’ve still talked the talk of title contenders or top 4 finishers, but rarely walked the walk on the pitch. United must invest in their future, and they must accept some failures for that to happen.
Ex-Players
I’m all for bringing back ex-players when they have completed their coaching badges but United have gone next level with the idea of ‘the Manchester United way’ and brining in the old to inspire the new. United players must respect the badge and they must respect the size and history of this club, but they must also be inspired and encouraged to be a part of a new chapter in United’s history, not being convinced by old players that they should somehow try to re-write history. Let the ex-players go out on their own before bringing them back in the fold.