Former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs has said that the club’s slump was inevitable after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
In his column in the Telegraph, the Wales and Manchester United legend explained that a slump was on the cards for the Red Devils. After spending an illustrious 26 years at the helm, the club is still reeling from the departure of Sir Alex Fergusson.
“I don’t believe that the decline, post-Sir Alex was inevitable. We won the Premier League by 11 points. There were so many winners in that team, so many great characters. Yes, the likes of myself, Rio, Nemanja Vidic, even Patrice Evra were coming to the end of our careers,” wrote the 39-year-old.
“Sir Alex might not necessarily have had a first-choice XI but he knew exactly what side was needed for each game, and would have that planned weeks ahead. David [Moyes] did not have that information. He started with a blank sheet of paper and for most of the first season we were chasing our best XI,” added Giggs.
After the unceremonious sacking of David Moyes less than a year of Fergie’s retirement, the then Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal was appointed as the man to take charge of England’s most successful club.
The Dutchman came to Old Trafford with a noteworthy CV, but came crashing down to earth after he was handed a reality check in England’s top tier. Despite making a Champions League return for United and winning an FA Cup, the club decided to let go of him amid criticisms of the brand of football his players showcased week-in-week-out.
Many expected Jose Mourinho to turn their fortunes around, but the former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss is stuck with a tedious job of getting the Red Devils back to where they belong. Despite playing a more exciting brand of football as compared to his predecessor, he has failed to convert them into points on the board.
Having an array of world-class players at his disposal, it is down to Mourinho’s man management skills and how much he can influence the side to bring them out of their slump and challenge for English, if not European, glory in the coming years.
