5 changes Manchester United need to return to the top
After nearly three years and 168 games in charge, Manchester United have parted ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian's time at Old Trafford has been one of positivity and renewed hope, but no trophies or any real success to show for it.
Solskjaer's sacking also turns the heat back on United's board of directors, who got yet another managerial appointment wrong. The Glazer brothers, who own the club, and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, have long been accused of prioritising commercial prosperity over performances on the pitch.
Official and confirmed. Manchester United have parted ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjær, mutual agreement reached as confirmed by official statement 🔴 #MUFC
It’s over. Ole leaves Manchester United job. https://t.co/QRg94l87e8
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was only a part of Manchester United's problems
While there's no denying that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked out of depth at Old Trafford, there are bigger problems at Manchester United.
Sacking a manager is much easier than replacing an entire squad or finding a new set of directors for off-field matters. But the club's players and board are also responsible for the current malaise.
On that note, here are five drastic changes Manchester United need to make to return to the pinnacle of English football.
#5 Appoint a long-term manager
Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, Manchester United have employed four permanent managers in almost eight seasons. While the cycle of constant change has done wonders for Chelsea, The Blues' ruthless ownership and choice of managers has been superior to that of the Old Trafford top brass.
Manchester United are stuck between two ideologies. While they aren't as cut-throat as the likes of Chelsea and PSG, The Red Devils haven't emulated the long-term building of Liverpool and Manchester City. Gone are the days when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger ruled over clubs for decades. 'Long term' has a different meaning in football today.
Liverpool employed Jurgen Klopp back in 2015, while Pep Guardiola arrived in Manchester a year later. Reports suggest Manchester United have always wanted a stable, long-term manager. But the board's actions, such as sacking Louis van Gaal right after the 2016 FA Cup win and refusing to back Jose Mourinho in the transfer market a few years later, show they are doing a bad job of it.
Jose Mourinho still has a picture of United's 2017 Europa League win up in his office... 😅🏆 #MUFC https://t.co/cw604aSWx7
Not only do Manchester United need to pick the right manager, but they also need to do more to support the head coach in the seat of power.
#4 Appoint a director of football
The Director of Football, or sporting director, is typically in charge of making major decisions at a football club, such as transfer strategy and managerial appointments. Manchester City employed Txiki Begiristain, while PSG are led by Leonardo Araujo for that role. Hasan Salihamidzic is the sporting director at Bayern Munich, while Michael Zorc handles such affairs at Borussia Dortmund.
The common factor uniting these names is that they are all former professional players. Meanwhile, investment banker and accounts expert Ed Woodward is the chief decision-maker at Manchester United.
Ed Woodward to resign as @ManUtd exec vice-chairman
A background in football is not a necessity. Michael Edwards at Liverpool and Chelsea's Marina Granovskaia have been immensely successful in their own right. But the fact is that Manchester United are run by figures more accustomed to finances than football.
Edwin van der Sar, who is doing a terrific job as CEO of Ajax, has been touted as a potential DoF for Manchester United. However, that remains a pipe dream as Richard Arnold, a British accountant, is widely expected to take over from Ed Woodward when the United supremo steps down at the end of the year.