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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
David McDonnell

6 reasons for Man Utd's shocking fall from grace and what the crisis club must do next

Manchester United, the most successful club in the Premier League era and English football history with 20 title wins, are at rock bottom.

Sunday's 4-1 derby humiliation by neighbours Manchester City showed just how far United have fallen behind their neighbours and local rivals, and the scale of the task facing the manager who will be appointed this summer.

Here, Mirror Sport looks at the issues and catalogue of mistakes that have plunged United into crisis since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, on the back of their last title win.

Ownership

The Glazers have been reviled ever since their takeover of United in 2005, taking more than £1billion out of the club in dividends and treating fans with contempt.

In contrast, Sheikh Mansour has pumped more than £1bn into City, turning them from perennial under-achievers into serial winners in a little over a decade.

The Glazers have plunged United into debt with their leveraged takeover of the club, with the latest financial figures released last week showing the club is now £495m, an increase of £40m.

Joel Glazer and Ed Woodward are not popular among the Man Utd fanbase (PA)

Ed Woodward, who stepped down as chief executive on February 1, was branded a Glazer stooge by fans and held responsible for the failings that beset the club over the past decade.

United fans have long argued the Glazers have used the club for their personal financial gain and the lack of success on the pitch in the past 10 years adds credence to that view.

Signings

Under Ferguson, United usually got the players they wanted, through a combination of their status and financial might. In the post-Ferguson era, however, their transfer policy has been a shambles, with more than £1b spent on players since 2013.

While City and Liverpool buy and sell superbly and with the minimum of fuss, United are often embroiled in drawn-out transfer sagas or end up paying over the odds for players simply not worth their fee.

Have Your Say! Who is your No.1 transfer target for Man Utd? Join the debate here.

Harry Maguire's record transfer fee looks steep given his current form (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Alexis Sanchez, Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Angel Di Maria and, more recently, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Fred, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and current skipper Harry Maguire are all glaring examples of United's failed recruitment policy.

Contrast that with City and Liverpool, who rarely get in wrong when buying or selling.

United are also hopeless when it comes to retaining players, with club record £89m signing Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Cavani all out of contract this summer and leaving as free agents, while United have also handed lucrative long-term contracts to players who simply do not play regularly enough, like Phil Jones.

Coaching

While Pep Guardiola and his staff improve players with their coaching methods, the same cannot be said of United in recent seasons. It is hard to think of one player who has improved as a result of the coaching at United.

If anything, they have all regressed, the likes of Maguire, Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford, Martial and others have gone backwards in their time at United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was criticised for the make-up of his coaching team, with Rangnick now facing the same issues.

Ralf Rangnick's tactics are not being realised on the pitch (REUTERS)

He brought in Chris Armas and Ewan Sharp, the former an American with no Premier League experience, who was sacked from two MLS clubs prior to his arrival at United, as well as sports psychologist Sascha Lense.

There has been little evidence of Rangnick's famed high-pressing style since he took over, with United's coaches failing to get their ideas across to players who are clearly reluctant to listen.

Players

There are clear divisions and cliques within the United dressing-room, despite claims to the contrary.

Cristiano Ronaldo flew to Portugal after declaring himself injured and unable to play in the derby, while Edinson Cavani missed his sixth game in a row after deciding he was not fit enough to play.

There is a power struggle between Ronaldo and skipper Harry Maguire, with claims many players have lost faith in the latter's ability to lead the team because of his own wretched form. The body language on the pitch shows there is little fight or commitment among the players, who are all out for themselves, rather than playing as a team.

Every time United suffer a big defeat, PR teams employed by players to manage their social media accounts send out messages of defiance and contrition, with supporters fed up with the recurring posts and demanding proper action from them on the pitch.

Man Utd players regularly cut dejected figures on the pitch (REUTERS/Craig Brough)

Manager

United will appoint their fifth permanent manager in nine years this summer. In contrast, Jurgen Klopp has been at Liverpool since 2015 and Pep Guardiola in charge of City since 2016.

Both of United's rivals knew the manager they wanted and went out and recruited him, ensuring the right support structure was in place for them to succeed. United have gone through David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, none of whom were the right fit and all of whom ultimately failed.

The next manager must be given time to succeed, but must also have the right structure and people around him in key positions, making the right decisions, as City and Liverpool have ensured.

Join the debate! Who should be Man Utd's next manager? Tell us here.

Ground

Old Trafford is known as the Theatre of Dreams, but is now a mirror of the team - what was once the pride of Manchester is now in a state of disrepair and a shadow of its former self.

Under the Glazers, the famous 76,000-seater arena has been neglected and fallen behind Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham, all of whom boast more modern, state-of-the-art stadia.

The roof at Old Trafford leaks, there is no giant screen to inform fans of team news and VAR decisions, and the entire structure needs a major overhaul.

The Glazers have vowed to invest in the ground, but actions speak louder than words and, so far, the necessary funds have not been allocated to bring Old Trafford up to the required standard.

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