Manchester United’s post-Sir Alex Ferguson demise has been there for all to see, but just how far have United fallen in that decade?
Now in their fifth permanent manger since the big man ended his illustrious career, United are still searching for the antidote to stop the well-publicized slide.
The Daily Star has provided a table of points earned since the start of the 2013/14 season.
United have added 626 points in that period, which places them sixth in the overall table. Above United are City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal, respectively.
The details make the reading even worse. The almost 100-point gap with Liverpool in second place is staggering, and the incredible 158-point gap between United and City speaks for itself.
The table reflects the traditional top six, with United at the bottom of that pile, but the 142-point gap to Everton in seventh place is considerable.
Ferguson’s hand-picked successor, David Moyes, set the tone for the fall, finishing seventh and 22 points clear of City, who won the league in the first season after Sir Alex’s retirement.
United then turned to the experienced Louis van Gaal. Unfortunately, the Dutchman’s possession-based style wasn’t cut out for the Premier League and didn’t provide much relief. United finished fourth and fifth in LvG’s two-season spell, again trailing City, raising legitimate concerns about a power shift in Manchester.
Then came the guarantee, series winner José Mourinho walking through the gates of Old Trafford with the promise of league titles. However, City had just appointed their own super-manager in Pep Guardiola. The two went to battle and it was Mourinho who was second best: the Portuguese managed a second-place finish in 2017/18, but the 19-point difference to City was a chasm.
As Mourinho sank, Liverpool quietly built, Jurgen Klopp found a formula to turn the Premier League into a two-horse race for the next four years, while United fell further behind, not just City and Liverpool, but the rest of the pursuing platoon. .
Club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the next to have a crack and equaled Mourinho’s second-place finish of the 2020/21 season behind closed doors. Once again, however, the 12-point gap to City highlighted the chasm.
New season, new coach. Erik ten Hag is the next man charged with closing the gap and currently sits three points clear of Liverpool after seeing them off at Old Trafford in a remarkable win. The Manchester derby is also the next step for United, a chance for the new manager to reduce the points gap with City to just 153. No pressure, Erik.
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