Manchester United's tragic decline over the years is no secret. The club has deteriorated massively, from a period when winning trophies was no big deal to a scenario where even survival in the Premier League is under great threat. United enjoyed domination over city rivals Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool during their glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson, which turned upside down following his retirement. However, the one thing which United fans could continue to boast over was the supremacy over Tottenham Hotspur.
The Manchester-based club enjoyed a mental edge against Hotspur, with one of United's most famous comebacks recorded against the same opposition. United were trailing against Tottenham at half-time, with the players unable to make an impact. However, Ferguson boosted their morale by simply saying, 'Lads, it's Spurs'. United pulled off a comeback for the ages, winning 5-3 at Tottenham's home ground White Hart Lane in 2001.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! However, the current season has brought the Manchester-based club's domination to a grinding halt, following the defeat in the Europa League final. United's loss marked their fourth defeat in 2024-25 against Tottenham, showcasing the mindboggling downturn in fortunes dealt by football's cruel hand. The Manchester-based side is currently 16th on the Premier League points table and could well finish just one spot above relegation, which is abysmal to say the least.
There have been multiple reasons behind United's significant decline as shared by Premier League commentator Kevin Hatchard, during an exclusive interaction with TOI.
"There was always going to be a lot of uncertainty following Sir Alex's retirement. United tried to appoint different managers who've been very successful elsewhere like Jose Mourinho and Louis Van Gaal which didn't result in long-term success," he said.
"Recruitment has been very poor. The club listened too carefully to individual managers rather than having an overall direction. What they've ended up with is a squad that doesn't really work because some players were bought for one manager while others were purchased for someone else," added Hatchard.
While there are certainly question marks regarding the recruitment of players, strong concerns also arise over the ownership. Fans have taken to the streets on multiple occasions, urging the Glazers to step down. Financial mismanagement is rampant leaving fans deeply concerned.
"Dan Ashworth was hired as a sporting director but dismissed after a few months. That's an indication of the uncertainty at United. A leveraged buy-out of a club like United shouldn't have been allowed," said Hatchard.
"A lot of money has been taken out of the club. There is confusion and failure at every level. The Glazers have provided money for transfers but there is complete absence of infrastructure which can result in success. Big money signings like Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho simply failed to make an impact because of lack of clarity at the top. The Glazers deserve a huge amount of criticism," he added.
Manchester United were considered the best at pulling off comebacks under Ferguson, with injury time hailed as 'Fergie Time' because of the number of comebacks pulled off. However, the team's mentality in the recent Europa final was fearful, with players simply unable to rise to the occasion.
"United's players knew that a win was the only save to salvage the season, resulting in fear of failure. The pressure got to them. Even manager Ruben Amorim can't be blamed a lot because he was brought in mid-season," said Hatchard.
"United should have hired him at the start of the season rather than sticking with Erik ten Hag who clearly wasn't the right fit. They had already spoken to other managers so making a move would have been ideal," he added.
United will have limited money to spend next summer in the absence of European football. High-profile sales are expected and there are also question marks regarding Amorim's future at the club.
"Amorim is a very good coach. Changing the manager again would be wrong. Holding on to quality talent and selling players who don't fit Amorim's system will be quite vital. That's easier said than done because it is a lot harder to sell players than to buy them. The road ahead is going to be slow and extremely painful," shared Hatchard.
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