This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
Manchester United's slide into crisis has reached alarming proportions, with the team languishing in 12th spot in the Premier League, a staggering 15 points behind leaders Liverpool after just eight games.
Since Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013, Old Trafford has witnessed a decline in fortunes, with the Red Devils finishing in the top four just twice in the six seasons that followed.
Under Ferguson, United finished in the top three every year from 1992 until 2013, winning 13 league titles. In contrast, the team has struggled to replicate this success under subsequent managers, including Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Speaking a few weeks after his departure from Old Trafford last year, Mourinho reflected on his achievements at the club, highlighting their second-place finish in the 2017/18 season as one of his greatest accomplishments.
However, Solskjaer's tenure has been marked by a dramatic decline in form, with the team struggling to find their footing in the Premier League. United's 1-0 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday left them reeling, and goalkeeper David de Gea has apologized to supporters, saying it was the toughest time he had experienced since joining the club in 2011.
"It's difficult to say something. Sorry to the fans, we will keep fighting for sure," de Gea told Sky Sports. "We will come back but at the moment we are in a difficult situation."
United's struggles are not limited to their on-field performance. The team has been woefully short of midfield spark and clinical finishers, with just two goals in their past five games. The departure of forwards Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter Milan has left a gaping hole in the team's attacking lineup, with Marcus Rashford shouldering the burden alone in the absence of the injured Anthony Martial.
Former United defender Gary Neville has criticized the club's hierarchy for their role in the team's decline, saying they were getting the pain "they deserve" for poor decisions at board level related to recruitment and managerial policy.
"They (the club board) have cocked this up over many years," Neville told Sky Sports. "They've cocked it up. They are responsible for this."
Despite their struggles, United remain one of the richest and biggest clubs in the world. However, their lustre is rapidly fading, and it remains to be seen whether the team can recover from their current crisis.
Next up for the league leaders is a visit to Old Trafford after the international break, with few expecting the gloom over United to be lifted anytime soon.
