Five Managerial Mistakes by Manchester United Managers (After SAF Era)

Manchester United haven’t been the same team since their title-winning campaign in the 2012-13 season under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman enjoyed a hugely decorated spell at Old Trafford that lasted for 26 years before deciding to call it a day post the 20^th League title win in 2013.

Things have hardly gone well for the Mancunians since then. David Moyes was appointed as Sir Alex’s successor, but the former Everton manager, who had signed a six-year contract, did not even last for a single complete season. The current Sunderland manager was sacked late in the 2013-14 season, with Ryan Giggs taking up the role of caretaker manager till the end of the season as the Red Devils finished 7^th in the Premier League.

The subsequent season saw the appointment of Dutchman Louis Van Gaal as the new manager. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager managed to get United back into the Champions League leading his team to a fourth-place finish in his first season in charge. However, the football that Van Gaal’s team played was dour and uninspiring, something that stood completely against the identity and philosophy that United have developed over the years.

And things began to unravel for the Dutchman in his second season. The Red Devils finished sixth in the league in the 2015-16 campaign, but did manage to win the FA Cup, a trophy that had eluded them for quite some time now. But that was not enough to guarantee Van Gaal’s job, as he too was shown doors post that season with Jose Mourinho being appointed the new United manager in the summer.

Jose has had to endure a poor start to the season, but with the year-end approaching, his team has managed to put together a good run of results and are on the ascendancy again.

In what has been a rocky three-year period post Sir Alex’s retirement, we look at five high-profile managerial mistakes made by the legendary manager’s successors:

5. Abysmal Transfer Summer under Moyes

Moyes came into Old Trafford with a need to revamp the squad as he looked to build a team in his own image. However, the Scotsman, along with United’s then-newly appointed Chief Executive Ed Woodward spent most of the transfer window chasing ghosts. The duo went after former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas who was playing for Barcelona and had no interest in moving to United. Moyes also struggled to replace the ageing centre-back duo of Vidic and Ferdinand.

The only player he brought in that summer was Marouane Fellaini that too on the deadline day from his former club. United had an opportunity to sign the Belgian for much cheaper earlier in the season, but ended up overspending. And Fellaini has been far from a success story at United and has struggled to carve out a spot for him in the line-up despite being in his fourth season at Old Trafford.

4. Moyes’ Handling of Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie had been the most important player for United in their title-winning campaign in Sir Alex’s final season. The Dutchman finished as the leading goalscorer in the Premier League and had captured the United faithful’s imagination in his first season at Old Trafford.

However, things did not go well for the former Arsenal striker under the new leadership of David Moyes. It was often spoken about in media how Moyes overworked Van Persie in training, failing to understand the requirements of the fitness regime that the 30-year old striker’s body needed and as a result burning him out. The Flying Dutchman struggled with his fitness as a result, the goals dried up for him, and there was a sense of unrest growing between him and the new manager. Moyes’ lack of understanding and proper treatment of Van Persie was one of the biggest errors he made in his short stint at United.

3. Louis Van Gaal selling Javier Hernandez

Van Gaal brought in Radamel Falcao on loan to Manchester United in his first season meaning United were spoilt with options for strikers with Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Robin van Persie already available in their ranks. So, Hernandez had to be farmed out on loan to Real Madrid. The Falcao move exploded in United’s face badly with the Colombian looking like a spent force and with Chicharito enjoying a better spell than Falcao, it was widely expected that Van Gaal will have learnt his lessons and keep the Mexican at Old Trafford the following season.

However, the Dutchman sold Chicharito to Bayer Leverkusen the next season where the 28-year old had a stellar debut campaign scoring 26 goals. In a season where United struggled for goals with van Persie also leaving, it was a big mistake to let go of the energetic Mexican.

2. Selling Angel Di Maria

Angel Di Maria arrived at United from Real Madrid amidst much fanfare and despite a great start in the early parts of the season, not many would regard the Argentine’s first and only season at the club as a success. The Argentina midfielder scored three goals and made 10 assists in 27 Premier League matches, which by his usual standard aren’t the best returns. He and his family had to deal with a shocking burglary at their Cheshire home that seemed to have unsettled the former Madrid player.

But the 27-year-old is one of the best in the business in his role and possessed the pace, the power, the finesse and the trickery that would have seen him become a great player for United. And more importantly, Di Maria knew what it meant to play for one of the biggest clubs having played at Madrid previously. Van Gaal had continuously bemoaned the fact that his squad did not have “speedy wingers”, but he had one at his disposal in Di Maria, whom he shackled, played out of position on various occasions and then finally sold to Paris Saint-Germain where the Argentine has flourished boundlessly.

1. Van Gaal’s tactical inflexibility

Van Gaal’s stubborn and heavy-headed nature was well-known before he took over at Manchester United. But his persistent and headstrong commitment to the 4-2-3-1 formation had been one of the main reasons why United’s football had been so dour and restricted during his tenure.

His philosophy of holding on to the ball at all conditions shackled the freedom his players needed and took out the creativity completely from the picture, which resulted in United struggling in the final third of the pitch. And with two holding midfielders in the team, the Red Devils more often than not ended up with seven players in their own half which hampered them a lot going forward. United lacked the necessary penetration and flair in the attacking third but the Dutchman stuck to his own way and did nothing to change things which eventually led to his downfall at Old Trafford.