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Afolabi Ezekiel - May 27, 2025
As for Manchester United, the silver lining to the 2024/25 season didn’t come on a low note, and the club’s bitter disappointment is all to familiar. Spurs dominated the final and taking it 1-0 to United in the Europa League was another defeat for the Red Devils and pushed hopes of their long-awaited trophy further down.
The defeat capped Man United’s hopes of European football, only the second time in 35 years. After having the worst campaign in over 50 years, the club’s undertone is where do they go after this red flag?
The loss is likely to have widespread consequences. Champions League qualifications that could have brought an additional financial surplus of over £100 million will no longer be a possibility. Even lesser tires of the competition would bring visibility and necessary funds. Now, United face a £10 million deduction from their Adidas sponsorship and further financial strain as they try to recalibrate in a cost-cutting era initiated by minority stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Without European competitions, Manchester United’s reputation is damaged, and there is a complete lack of clarity regarding the players, staff, and owners, the club has seemingly never been more vulnerable.
Ruben Amorim, the head coach, was appointed in hope of spurring the club’s revival, but he now faces questions over his decision-making credibility due to this end of season capitulation. Is it possible for someone so unfamiliar with the intricacies of the culture of English football to undertake the rebuild of one at English football’s most famous clubs in its greatest crisis?
Abolishing the prospect of European competitions straight away makes these players far less appealing to United’s ruthless marketing department. Cunha and Delap become feasible options, but with concerns over whether United’s ambition still exists, current star names like Fernandes and Rashford might be considering moves.
The performing reality is no longer appealing; for too long these have been pretending to operate under the financial and reputational status of a United holding, but without meeting expectations. That model is simply not an option anymore.
Funds are still being allocated elsewhere; it’s just much smaller. United’s remote position results in strict budget constraints. Addressing these squad issues while trying to stay budget conscious will be an uphill battle for the head coach trying to deal with an unmanageable group of underperforming players.
What brought Manchester United to this point? The club is in a state of confusion due to poor judgments. Retaining Erik ten Hag if they did undermined squad morale and created a series of delays in transitions that were sorely needed.
Mid-season, Ruben Amorim came in, but he was too late. The team was already riddled with injuries, tactical disarray, and an alarming inability to score disrupting their campaign.
A Premier League place between 14th and 17th is not embarrassing in the traditional sense, as it’s unprecedented.
The complete absence of an integrated approach towards football at the club combined with uncertainty towards the ownership and executive direction of the club has led to the free fall.
The synergy of multiple problems has created this failure. Deficient squad construction strategy, unrelenting managerial changes, considerable stagnation behind the curtains, and a disconnect culture that hasn’t adjusted since Sir Alex Ferguson retired is the problem.
Despite the burden of time and optimism waning, everything isn’t lost just yet. Talent still remains in the club with Garnacho, Mainoo, and Højlund aiding their standing as United’s attacking future.
New signings Zirkzee and Ugarte could also prove to be assets which, coupled with Amorim’s focus on clear defensive structure and tactical identity, could lead the club towards fruition, though only if he receives what he needs in terms of time and other resources.
This might not be the best possible for a complete tactical shift, because the current media atmosphere is toxic, and with little to no results in the Amorim-mandated back three, the possibility for leveraging any grace period from the fanbase is nonexistent.
To make matters worse, the avalanche of dominant teams from the rest of Europe like the Spanish giants, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich have their own working constructs, providing zero leeway for the under-scrutinized Portuguese coach.
The big question United must answer this summer is not just whether Amorim is the right man, but whether the structure around him can deliver results. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS-led overhaul is underway, but it’s still unclear if it will yield the stability and strategic clarity that has eluded the club for over a decade.
Meanwhile, the market won’t wait. United will have to navigate complex negotiations to offload high-wage underperformers. And crucially, they must build a culture and dressing room environment where youth can thrive, before the emotional scars of this disastrous season take permanent hold.
Manchester United’s journey is at a crossroads. Following one of the paths will lead them even deeper into dysfunction and mediocrity, while more carefully chosen steps could guide them to a perceived rebuild driven by youth, clearer tactical ideology, smarter spending, and a stronger brand.
However, an ever-growing desperate fanbase, chaotic football environment will complicate things along the way.
Manchester United’s history will change next after this part that we just witnessed, but in a negative light it could become another ‘fallen giant’. If they manage to do it, just maybe the underlying suffering during this season can give rise to some transformation.
But make no mistake, the road back will be long, hard, and full of uncomfortable truths. Whether Amorim, Ratcliffe, and the players are ready for that journey remains to be seen.
