One of the factors contributing to Manchester United’s sharp downturn over the past ten years, according to Gary Lineker, is a startling legend. With 11 games remaining, the Red Devils are currently in 14th place and appear headed for their worst-ever Premier League result. Erik ten Hag led them to ninth place the previous season, which was their lowest ranking.
The 20-time champions haven’t won the league title in 12 years, and current manager Ruben Amorim has been called foolish for claiming he can lead United back to the top of English football. Nevertheless, Lineker has said that one man, who is largely to blame for one of the club’s greatest periods ever, must share some of the blame for the current slump the Old Trafford team is in.
Lineker Suggests Alex Ferguson to Blame for United Decline
The former striker claims that Ferguson left the Red Devils in a bad state
According to the Daily Mail, Lineker stated following United’s FA Cup loss to Fulham on Sunday that the club’s organisation started to disintegrate towards the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure as manager, suggesting that the renowned Scot had some responsibility for the way the Red Devils were handed off to future managers.
Lineker likened the circumstances to those of Liverpool and Arne Slot, who took over a team from Jurgen Klopp that appears poised to win another Premier League championship with ease.
“If you look at Liverpool now, they’ve got a new manager in Arne Slot, and it’s testament to how Jurgen Klopp left the club in a really good state. So the structure is really good.
“That probably wasn’t the case at the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s [time at Old Trafford]. I know they won the league that season, but it wasn’t their best side, and a lot of their great players were coming to the end of their careers. I think from there they had problems. The academy wasn’t delivering the players that they were before.”
During his time at the Theatre of Dreams, Ferguson—who is considered by many to be among the greatest coaches in all of sport—led United to 13 Premier League titles, two European Cups, and numerous other domestic accolades. Since his retirement, the Red Devils have only twice finished second in the Premier League and have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.