Man United in Turmoil: What Does the Future Hold? | OneFootball

An accumulation of weak mentality, lack of leadership, and abominable attitudes has contributed to the discourse and disconnection between this United team and their loyal fans, which is now more prominent than ever. Thursday brought yet another spineless performance, concluded by a hollow applause to an away end, consisting of the few disgruntled fans that chose to stay to the very end of the 2-0 drumming to Wolves. Are Man United in turmoil?

Amplified by Liverpool’s dominance at the summit of the league table, the fall off of the Old Trafford side has been monumental. To be frank, the club is a disaster on and off the pitch. The INEOS ownership, cutting costs through cancelled Christmas parties, reduced bonuses, rumours of slashing budgets towards the disabled supporters association and of course hiking the price of matchday tickets have all led to comparisons towards the Glazers.

Calls for a significant player cull seem to be escalating in tandem with the growing tension among supporters. As I read Andy Mitten’s ‘Bring on United’ book, the difference in calibre between the current squad and those players in the book is striking. The professionalism and devotion to the crest are so absent among this group, adding to the fans’ frustrations.

The Tumultuous Blame Game

With the recent exclusion of Marcus Rashford from matchday squads, toxic fans are already finding other scapegoats to elicit their emotions online. The past week has seen angst towards Kobbie Mainoo, Ruben Amorim, Alejandro Garnacho, and many more.

X user @adamjoseph____ captured some of the abhorrent abuse directed towards the aforementioned Mainoo, one of United’s best performers last year.

The toxicity of the online fanbase, posting for engagement and clicks, has added to the frustration surrounding the club. Blaming, criticising, and outrightly verbally attacking players when they need supporters behind them, now more than ever.

Amorim warned fans that the storm will come. United fans will be hoping that they are in the eye of the storm, a storm that has been brewing for a long time. Mark Critchley accurately captured the Portuguese managers situation on the Talk of the Devils podcast, saying

The tendency for supporters to seek out an individual to blame has been happening for years, be it a player or a manager; even the role of Andreas Georgson has been criticised. We are ten games into the Amorim era. Ten.

Yes, the results in these ten games have been far from acceptable, with four wins, one draw, and five losses. But when does the manager ‘blame game’ stop? It knows no end. If this cohort of players can throw Ole Gunnar Solskjær under the bus, it will be a recurring theme until the rot stops.

Leadership Conundrum

The lack of a leader, a warrior, someone for the younger players to look towards in the tough times is more apparent than ever. Bruno Fernandes is a magnificent player on his day; his creativity and flair can unlock any defence with an intricate pass through the lines. But his attitude of late has been sickening.

Three red cards this season, albeit one rescinded; is he the leader we need? Think of the previous combatants, blessed with the armband of this historic club: Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Nemanja Vidic, and Wayne Rooney. Club legends, wearing their hearts on their sleeves week in and week out. This is not a reaction to his red card; it is a criticism of his leadership.

But further to that, if not Bruno, then who? Nobody immediately springs to mind. Adding to the woes of awful recruitment, the personality of a player needs to be assessed as well as their playing style. There have been more failed signings passed through the doors of Carrington in this decade than successful ones.

Jonny Evans was signed to keep fit for a pre-season; the ultimate professional still features regularly for the squad when needed. At 36, the Northern Irishman is a testament to the club for the manner in which he conducts himself. Setting the bar of professionalism higher than most. Of course, he is not suitable for the captaincy due to a number of factors, but is the type of personality needed in the dressing room that moulds youngsters into footballers rather than social media influencers. Professionals which players can look up to are scarce in this club, curating an unparalleled difference from squads of the past

What Next?

So where does the Old Trafford side go from here? The once colossal of European football, now a minnow of England, a laughing stock to rivals but a beacon of hope to the millions of loyal fans around the world, yearning for a return to their herculean past.

The Players

It can’t be denied that Ruben Amorim, the Portuguese tactico, has a mammoth task ahead of him. This squad requires a mass exodus, a fresh start, and players who embody the spirit engraved in the walls of Old Trafford, The Cliff, and Carrington by those who have forged the path of this club.

Currently sitting in fourteenth, the talent of these players does not reflect their league position. Albeit, it is not a squad of title challengers, but a squad that should be capable of beating the likes of Wolves, Ipswich, and West Ham, respectively.

The apparent lack of desire is palpable, radiating from this bunch of players game after game. The lack of effort, the lack of ferocity radiates around Old Trafford, once a footballing fortress, now a leaking laughable stadium subjecting us to mockery. Without naming individuals, there is a set of perhaps six to eight players deserving of this jersey. The red of Manchester United, donned by the greats of the game, is now being shamefully strained by several playing for their bank account rather than the badge.

A Goalscorer

This ownership must offer their full backing to Amorim. Currently playing in his system, this squad lacks the depth and dynamic nature of other top squads. A proven goalscorer has to be a top priority. Rasmus Højlund was hoisted into the lead line for Manchester United. The 21-year-old should have been brought in as an understudy to a world-class striker. Michael Owen spoke about the striker, saying:

“I can’t judge him as a player, I don’t know if he’s good or bad, and that’s the most damning thing you could say because after watching him for a year, I just feel as if he’s playing in possibly the hardest position in the Premier League to play in at the moment—center-forward for Manchester United—I never thought I’d be saying that.”

Be it Viktor Gyökeres, Victor Oshimen, or another goal scorer, being capable of peppering the Stretford End week-on-week is a necessity.

Time

This manager and his coaching team need time. They need financial backing by the board and they desperately need the backing of the fans. Amorim has a proven record with Sporting, bringing them to the helm of Portuguese football for the first time in 19 years, bringing clarity to a chaotic club. How we could do with clarity now.

The 39-year-old is working with players signed by former managers, moulding his system into players programmed for a completely different style of play. In order for the “open-heart surgery” spoken of by Ralf Rangnick to take place, he will need time. There will be more losses and this realistically is not the lowest us United fans will feel.

There are an abundance of discussions surrounding the future of this club; for now, The Theatre of Dreams will remain a stage of destination frustration for United fans until there are changes implemented throughout. With fans losing patience and beginning to point fingers, it is time for these players to stand up and be counted for, in a time that feels like the lowest of lows for fans throughout the world.