The streets of Manchester were filled with people from all around the world. The smell of west Manchester filled the air. The yell of fans who desire more than anything to see more than 90 minutes of football. Each fan could have been gathered from different parts of the world. Some from Brazil, Argentina, France, Portugal, England, and many others. But they were gathered for one thing, to watch one of the greatest clubs in world football in action.

They were housed in the fortress known as Old Trafford. No one could score a win against that team. Sadly, this was years ago, run by the tactical masterclass of Alex Ferguson. If they were so great then, then what is happening to them in the current day and age?

Manchester United is one of the most historical clubs in history. Premier league trophies that seemed to never run out, 3 champions leagues under their belt, and many more minor trophies such as the Fa cup, league cup, and community shield to boot. While Manchester United was a dominant force since its inception in 1878, its true form as one of the best runs of pure class started with the appointment of their manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

“Alex Ferguson brought me joy by watching each match week in and week out” said Juan Carlos Sierra.

With his simple but effective formula and signing of great talent. His dominant years prevailed, winning 13 premier league titles, 5 FA cups, and 2 UEFA champions league titles. Some of best players under him were, Christiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Vidic, Alex Teves, Rio Ferdinand, Peter Schmeichel, and even unsung heroes such as Park-Ji-Sung, Ole Gunna Solskjær, and Nani.

“Even though I was not there to see it, I love watching the way young Ronaldo plays” said Jackson Saunders ‘26 said.

But how did this glorious campaign with the best talents, along with the best manager to date end?

After 26 years at the red devils, in 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson decided to leave the club and retire. This was expected since he could not stay forever but the fans were doubtful on who could replace him. The fall was not instant, but it was a gradual fall.

Fans were unsure of the new signing, David Moyes, due to replacing the Scotsman. Moyes could not live up to the pressure and ended up finishing in 7th place. Just a year prior, this was thought to be impossible. Following this, Moyes was sacked, and in came Louis Van Gaal. The club lacked any teamwork and cohesion on the pitch, they continued attempting to bring in star players such as Di Maria and Lukaku, but it was just not enough. The fans continued to complain, and the board just seemed to not care.

The board seemed to focus only on commercialism and not really on the performance and quality of the club. They kept burning through money, adding players such as Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba, and Antony Martial. With Jose Mourinho, one of the greatest managers of all time, coming to the club in 2016, hopes were high for the incoming campaign. While trophies were won, such as the Europa league, there was one underlying fact that was crippling the club. The club was spending too much money and Manchester United was not consistent in their efforts. “Manchester United is so boring to watch nowadays.

“They do not look like the attacking counterpart of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side” Will Patout ‘26 said.

While there was still hope, years of mediocrity turned into a decade. A slew of managers came and gone, the most recent one to be Erik Ten Hag. The pandemic played a big factor as it forced Manchester United to pay many unnecessary bills which led to an accumulating loss of money along with mediocre players who could not bring any titles back to the Old Trafford. The chant of “Glory Man United” still resonates in the crowd but almost a shadow of the former passion behind the chant.

Each match nowadays feels like a test of loyalty for each and every die-hard united fan. “I quit watching the sport because of the shameful performance week in and week out of my once super team” said Gabriel Pina ‘26. This further begs the question, when will Manchester United dig itself out of the hole? When will these shameful displays truly end? When will Manchester United return to glory?