Gary Neville highlighted a striking fact about United’s team against West Brom.
Since retiring from football in 2011, Neville has established himself as one of the most astute pundits working in the game. Get him in the studio for Monday Night Football and it’s compelling viewing.
The reason Neville has elevated himself above other football analysts is his perceptive interpretations of even the smallest events. Like, say, confirmation of the Manchester United team to play West Brom at the Hawthorns.
On Sunday at approximately 1.15pm, the official United Twitter account revealed Jose Mourinho’s line-up for the clash with the Baggies. Minutes later, Neville had pointed out the fact that seven of the starting 11 were players that have endured in the first-team since Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013.
It’s quite startling when you think about it. While United are missing several key players through injury, it’s still remarkable that, in the modern climate and with their mighty financial muscle, the likes of Ashley Young, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are starting.
660m spent !! Sobering Point to have to make.. https://t.co/uMGcXPOFCA
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) December 17, 2017
That’s not to disparage those players. Not at all. However, when Ferguson retired, many fans expected a significant overhaul of the first-team. While Fergie won the title in his final season, the consensus was that the squad he did it with was not fit for purpose in the long-term.
However, the only player David Moyes and Ed Woodward managed to sign during their first and only summer together as manager and executive vice-chairman was Marouane Fellaini. Juan Mata was added in January, but there was an inevitable feeling that United’s squad was vastly inferior to Manchester City’s. United finished that season 22 points behind them.
Since then, United’s recruitment has often lacked direction. The club has spent an eye-popping €748 million since Ferguson retired, yet the squad still pales in comparison to City, who have spent €895m during the same period.
There have been expensive mistakes (Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin chief among them) and hefty investments in players who have failed to convince consistently (Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Luke Shaw).
Then there have been the biggies, with Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba costing a combined €190m. However, Lukaku has justified his price-tag with goals while Pogba is United’s most influential midfielder. Lukaku and Pogba were expensive, but they have good signings.
And while Neville is right to slam United’s recruitment which has often been questioned under Woodward, the problem stretches back to Ferguson’s later years. The Scot failed to sign a long-term midfield replacement for Paul Scholes, instead persisting with the likes of Tom Cleverley, Anderson and Darron Gibson.
When an injury crisis in January 2012 left Ferguson with a frighteningly threadbare midfield, Scholes was persuaded into reversing his retirement. Some United fans may not feel comfortable questioning Ferguson, but the truth is that he left Moyes with a sub-par squad which, combined with his successor being hopelessly out of his depth, amounted to a painful period of mid-table mediocrity following his retirement.
Then came the Louis van Gaal era, which is enough to make most United supporters shudder. Di Maria didn’t prove to be the Galactico superstar Woodward had hoped for, while the captures of Depay, Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger turned out to be a waste of €75m. Radamel Falcao on loan was also a failed experiment.
But, under Mourinho, at least there has been evidence of a clear strategy. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s injury and advancing years, signing a proven goalscorer became a top priority in the summer, so Lukaku was signed. There have also been defensive recruitments with the future in mind in the shape of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof.
Mkhitaryan has not turned out to be the creative force Mourinho needed but snapping up Nemanja Matic from rivals Chelsea was an outstanding piece of business.
While Neville is right to point out United’s recruitment in the post-Fergie era, the blame does not lie with Mourinho. They’re behind City but ahead of everyone else, which is a lot more than what you can say about them under Moyes and van Gaal.
Ferguson must shoulder some of the blame, too, as the recruitment in his final couple of seasons plunged the club into uncertainty. While it has improved under Mourinho, the main problem no longer lies with recruitment. Mourinho’s problem lies more with a brand of football that is not expressive, adventurous or attractive enough to appease a fanbase disenchanted with City’s utter superiority.
