Since Sheikh Mansour acquired the highest stake in Manchester City in 2008, John Henry, the major owner of Fenway Sports Group bought Liverpool in 2010 and Roman Abramovich became Chelsea owner in 2003, it has increasingly become difficult for Manchester United to continue their dominance of the Premier League, as they did in the 90s.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s unanticipated retirement in 2013 has exposed United on all fronts, greatly affecting their successes on and off the pitch. The club is still struggling to move on from those years. Malcolm Glazer, the father of the Glazers, became the highest share holder at United in 2005, but it heralded initial bloom for the club before the recent slump from glory.
The Glazers are not ‘popular’ among the club’s fans, who have never hidden their detest for the Americans over United’s huge debt and departure into mediocre and years of lack of success. Those have been the reasons for the regular protests against how the club is run by the business-minded family and the regular chant: ” Love The Club, Hate The Glazers.”
The club have spent £1. 075 billion on transfers since the 2012/13 season in the post-Sir Alex era, and have only the Europa League and FA Cup to show for it. Four substantive managers also took charge at the club within the period and only two of them won one major title each.
Aside Chelsea, City and Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur have also emerged from the shadows for few years now. The club’s chairman, Daniel Levy, has been purposeful, unlike United, in the manner he has been running the club. From a mid-table club, they now regularly chase a place in the UEFA Champions League, in which they played in the final three years ago.
Arsenal too are almost soldiers of the same struggle as United. The Gunners missed out of Europe altogether this season and have focused only on domestic competitions. Whether it is a club policy or because they are cash-strapped, they suffer dearth of quality players available at shambolic United.
Their huge win over Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday again has rekindled their hope of going head-to-head with Tottenham for the precious fourth-place finish to play in the prestigious European club competition next campaign. Both London clubs are tied on 57 points with about six games to go.
For Tottenham and Arsenal players, it is about the fight, desire and the will to honour the club they represent, unlike their United colleagues, some of whom were literally strolling in the 4-0 thrashing by Liverpool days ago as if it were a training match. Conte and Arteta have been able to infuse believe in their less-expensive squads, who were in the gutter earlier this league season.
The game between Arsenal and United at the Emirates this weekend will be an opportunity for the 13-time champions to consolidate, as Spurs travel across London to face Brentford.
If United finish in the sixth position they currently occupy, they will play in the Europa Conference League, a third-tier club competition in the continent. They just have not shown enough aspiration to be in a ‘better place’ this campaign.
