When Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed as Manchester United’s manager in the 1980s, he famously had one target in mind – knocking Liverpool off their perch.
Ferguson had previously achieved the feat in Scotland with Aberdeen, guiding them to success in the face of stiff competition from Rangers and Celtic.
He arrived at Old Trafford in November 1986 with United fourth from bottom in the top flight, and it took him a while to win his first piece of silverware.
That came at the end of the 1989/90 season, when the Red Devils defeated Crystal Palace after a replay to claim the FA Cup.
Ferguson landed his first league title in England in 1992/93, with his team powering ten points clear of their rivals to end a 26-year wait to be crowned champions.
What followed next was a period of domination that had leading bookmakers wishing Ferguson had never ventured from his native Scotland.
United became the scourge of betting companies, repeatedly delivering winning returns to loyal punters who backed them to win silverware.
Given that managers rarely stay for more than a few years a club, the odds on anyone every matching his achievements are pretty remote.
To put Ferguson’s successes in the Premier League into context, it is worth noting that United had won just seven league titles from their formation in 1878.
They subsequently added another 13 league titles in a glittering 20-year period – a staggering achievement and one which is unlikely ever to be surpassed.
With that in mind, read on we assess whether the club can return to the same heights they reached under Ferguson.
The post-Ferguson era was never likely to be easy
Before considering where United are heading under manager Erik ten Hag, it is important to note that the club’s ownership situation has been far from ideal over the past 20 years.
With the benefit of hindsight, Ferguson undoubtedly did well to achieve what he did at United with the Glazer family controlling the purse strings at the club.
Ferguson’s successes masked the off-field issues, most of which only came to light when the legendary manager stepped down from the hot-seat.
Subsequent managers not only had to deal with the pressure of matching his achievements, but also had to contend with the Glazer family’s nonsense.
On that basis, Ten Hag winning the League Cup and FA Cup in his first two seasons with the club unquestionably deserves plenty of praise.
When compared to Ferguson’s early years with United, the Dutchman has achieved more. However, what happens from here will define the legacy he establishes.
From an ownership perspective, the landscape changed at United when Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrived as co-owner of the club in December 2023.
The deal reportedly included the INEOS-owner acquiring ‘full sporting control’ of the club, although it is unclear whether that will stick with the Glazers retaining a piece of the ownership pie.
The early signs have been promising, with Ratcliffe assembling what looks to be an impressive off-field team to oversee United’s sporting operations.
Ten Hag now seemingly has the tools in place to guide United back to the lofty status they garnered when Ferguson was the manager.
Replicating Ferguson’s achievements will not be easy
United fans who crave a speedy return to the dominance they had during the Ferguson era would be well-advised to digest Chief Executive Officer Omar Berrada’s recent comments.
He was asked how long it would take Man United to reach Manchester City’s current position of making small adjustments to their squad rather than undertaking massive rebuilding jobs.
“I think anybody who has worked in football for a long time could tell you that it’s almost impossible to put a timescale to answer that question,” Berrada told Sky Sports.
“What I can say is, it has been demonstrated when you look at the teams who have been successful consistently for many years, it’s because they have the right coach and they have signed the right players.
“They have the right structure around the coach and the players and you need to take good decisions consistently for many years, to get into a position where you are a financially sustainable club that is competing to win every single competition. Which is where we want to be.”
While Berrada’s pragmatic views may frustrate United fans who are expecting a quick fix, his stance clearly makes perfect sense.
Building a dynasty takes time – even Ferguson discovered that when he joined United – and the landscape in the Premier League is now different to what it was when he was in his pomp.
The vast revenues sloshing around the English top flight have helped to make it a much tougher league than was previously the case.
That point is perfectly highlighted by Brighton & Hove Albion, who shelled out a whopping £192 million on new players during the summer transfer window.
The Seagulls’ outlay places them in the same ballpark as United and Chelsea, yet no one is talking about them as potential title challengers this season.
United and Brighton were among nine clubs who paid more than £100m for incoming signings this summer, highlighting the cash-rich nature of the English top flight.
As identified by Berrada, if United are to have any chance of successfully replacing Ferguson’s glory years, numerous elements need to fall into place.
The club’s positive transfer business this summer indicates that the correct building blocks are being put in place, but it will take time for them to come to fruition.
A key factor which cannot be ignored is the Glazer family still retains majority control of the club and no one can predict how that scenario will play out.
Until that situation is resolved, it may well be the case that reaching the pinnacle of Ferguson’s era is just a little too much to ask for.
Be the first to comment