5 Premier League clubs with most points since Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United
One only has to take a glimpse at the Premier League record books to find the domination Manchester United had under Sir Alex Ferguson. He was appointed the club's manager in 1986 and became the longest-serving United manager after he retired in 2013, breaking Sir Matt Busby's record of managing United for 25 years over two spells.
Sir Alex was the heart and soul of Manchester United and his departure left a void that, despite all attempts, remains unfilled. During his tenure, the Old Trafford side won every honor there was to win and have a grand total of 38 trophies to show for.
Manchester United won the Premier League a record 13 times under the Scot
They last held the bragging rights in the English top-flight in the 2012-13 campaign, which was the Scot's final year in management. Since then, the Red Devils have starved for trophies and have only tasted triumph on three occasions, namely, the Europa League (2017), EFL Cup (2017) and the FA Cup (2016).
Ralf Ragnick is the seventh manager (caretaker included) to take charge of the proceedings at Manchester United since Alex Ferguson's retirement. The likes of David Moyes, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all failed to deliver the Premier League title.
While Manchester United were losing ground in the English top flight, their rivals were quick to latch onto an opportunity and close the gap with the Red Devils. This is evidently visible in the number of points the famed 'Big-Six' of the Premier League have collected since the retirement of the Scottish manager.
Here are the five clubs with the most Premier League points since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
#5 Manchester United - 603 points, 332 games
It is a shocker to see Manchester United fifth on this list. Overall, since the drafting of the Premier League in 1992, no team has collected more points than them. Yet all that momentum, supremacy, grip and the fear they instilled in the opposition has evaporated since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Successful managers like Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have both tried their luck at making Manchester United title contenders, but ended up losing their jobs. The club have spent a total of €1.35 billion on transfers, having signed the likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Harry Maguire, Angel Di Maria and others.
Yet, the Old Trafford outfit have struggled to challenge for the title in the Premier League. Moreover, the club hierarchy have been regularly criticized for their manner of running the club. Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, the club have struggled for stability and have lacked a proper structure to move forward with.
When Sir Alex was the manager at Manchester United trophies were the “normal”
The “new normal” at Manchester United is players complaining about….everything
#embarrassing
The Red Devils have finished outside the top-four in four seasons since their last crowning as the English top-flight champions in 2013. The 2017-18 campaign was their best in terms of points collected, having managed 81 points in 38 games, which earned them a second-place finish.
Manchester United may fail to secure Champions League football for next season, as their chances of a top-four finish in the Premier League are highly uncertain. Their campaign has been plagued with inconsistencies and new manager Ralf Rangnick's tactics haven't helped them to get the required points.
The club's fanbase is desperate and wants to see a capable coach chosen in the summer of 2022 who can restore the reputation of the side.
#4 Tottenham Hotspur - 603 points, 330 games
As far as major silverware is concerned, Tottenham Hotspur are the most barren club in the English top-flight's Big-Six. They last won a trophy back in 2008, lifting the EFL Cup by beating Chelsea 2-1. They have contested the final of the tournament thrice more since but failed to reclaim the trophy.
This is not the most positive thing to celebrate. But Spurs could be happy that after Sir Alex Ferguson's departure they have been the fourth most efficient team in the Premier League. They have collected 603 points to this day and they have Mauricio Pochettino to thank for the majority of those.
He became the Lilywhites' boss back in 2014, taking over from former Tottenham player Tim Sherwood, who managed the club for the second half of the 2013-14 season. Under the Argentine, Spurs finished in the top-four in four consecutive campaigns between 2015 and 2019.
This current Spurs side:
— Can’t score goals without Kane/Son
— Can’t defend to save their lives.
— Has no attacking midfielders.
— Has no set piece specialists.
— Has no wing backs Conte trusts.
— Has no senior striker backup.
And people wonder why we keep losing games 😑
Pochettino is one of the favorites to take over at Manchester United in the coming summer.
Spurs finished third in the points table on either side of their second-place finish in the 2016-17 campaign. One thing that will cheer the north London club's fans is that they have secured a higher spot than their arch-rivals Arsenal for five seasons in a row.
Harry Kane has undoubtedly been their best player over the course of this period and has won the Golden Boot thrice. They have hugely relied on his partnership with Son Heung-Min for crucial breakthroughs. The Gunners are only four points behind Tottenham, having played the same number of games since Manchester United's coveted manager left.
The momentum is with Arsenal and they have every chance of finishing above their arch rivals in the Premier League this season and breaking the embarrassing streak.