The Old Trafford institution still offers a truly compelling storyline, and future managers should be aware that reports of its demise are greatly exaggerated.
Eddie Howe has been linked with the Manchester United job by Roy Keane (Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Manchester United have not won the Premier League title in the 12 seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. That can happen to any of the great English football clubs.
After winning the old Division One in the 1989-90 season, Liverpool won their first Premier League title in the 2019-20 season. It has been 21 seasons since Arsenal last won the Premier League title.
Success is not a club’s birthright. The game in this country is always cyclical.
Since the end of the managerial reign, Manchester United’s average finishing position in the Premier League table has been between fifth and sixth. During that time they won the FA Cup twice, the EFL Cup twice and the UEFA Europa League.
Not great for a great Manchester United organization. But it was not a hopeless fall into obscurity.
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As usual, their relative rivalries have usually been played out in a context where rival clubs find new strength through great investments. Chelsea, who won the title in the two seasons under Ferguson, had the unimaginable backing of Roman Abramovich, while Manchester City, who won seven times during this period, were effectively owned by one of the world’s richest states.
The financial landscape of football has changed. However, that doesn’t mean Manchester United fans shouldn’t be unhappy about their lone second place finish since the Ferguson era, or their few cup wins. Diets that come with frequent “failures” after devouring successes are hard on the stomach.
But more than 70,000 people will be at Old Trafford when the FA Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion begins. And if it holds more, there will be more.
Ruben Amorim lasted just 14 months at Manchester United (Image: Molly Darlington, Getty Images)
Globally, United matches still attract more attention than matches played by other English clubs. It may not always have been for the right reasons these days, but Manchester United’s fate remains one of the most fascinating storylines in English football, whether supporters of other teams like it or not.
That’s why it would be very difficult to resist an offer from an elite manager from Old Trafford with ambitions to leave an unforgettable impression on the game. This is why Roy Keane’s suggestion that Manchester United should target Eddie Howe is not as vaguely ridiculous as it first sounds.
Howe is at a great club with great fans, currently has significant financial backing and appears to have at least three years left on his contract. And he’s a loyal man.
I hope Howe resists if Manchester United come calling, but I think he will. Because again, Newcastle United are a great club.
But Manchester United is Manchester United. The offer to manage them is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And when 12 seasons without a Premier League title soon become 13 (in fact, it already has), the challenge of ending that run should become even more appealing.
Josep Guardiola’s Manchester City have been a formidable rival to Manchester United over the past decade (Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The manager who won the first Premier League title since Ferguson will certainly leave an indelible mark on the club’s history. Of course, the big problem is assembling, managing, and coaching a team that can become champions.
In an era where there are many highly organized operations, competition is fierce. Almost casually, Manchester City paid more than £60m for a player of immense talent and signed the best striker in the competition until the end of the year.
The reigning champions spent more than £400m on new players last summer. And both are currently trailing behind the capital’s powerhouse clubs. But when a permanent successor to Ruben Amorim is sought in the summer, only the best results should be pursued.
Whether it’s Howe or whoever it is. Because while it seems like it’s been a poisoned chalice for many since Sir Alex, it’s still one of the game’s greatest honors.
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