Why is Manchester United struggling to attract top talents?

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By Martin Graham | 25th Jun 2022

Manchester United have fallen flat on their faces and are now looked at with pity more than admiration despite their achievements.

The once biggest and best team in England now look like a dilapidated castle belonging to a fallen lord who has lost his standing in the society along with his social capital.

Many are not interested in identifying with the club anymore, so much so that despite Ralf Rangnick’s agreement to stay on as their consultant alongside his role as the national team manager for Austria, chose to cut ties off with the club.

Former managers Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal have also spoken out against the people at the head of the club, with van Gaal even warning Erik ten Hag not to move to the club ahead of his appointment as the new manager.

That new manager bounce and even the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad has failed to attract any player to date with ten Hag desperate for new signings.

Why are top talents refusing to sign for Man United?

No system

In the latter years of Sir Alex Ferguson, the club began to look like it was struggling to win games and titles.

They got by most of that period on fighting spirit alone, with lots of goals scored in ‘Fergie Time’. This can be said to be due to the legendary manager’s including the team but after he left, they did not know what to do anymore.

There was no system in place after the Scot’s departure from the dugout to be built upon and the players were unable to adapt to new coaching methods from the managers that followed.

They have since run on luck but that luck has failed them in recent seasons. Not many serious players would want to be a part of this.

Erik ten Hag is expected to bring the system they have lacked in the past but the club’s image has to be cleared first and this could take a while. In a fast paced football world, not many players have the luxury of time to wait for however long the Dutchman will take to restore the club.

Wastefulness in the market

It is one thing to spend and it is another to spend on quality. Since Ferguson retired from the club, Manchester United have failed to get it right.

This throws players they sign into a whirlpool with other talents who have no strong footing in a certain style of play. Man United buy the big names for big amounts but end up buying players who do not complement each other in any way, making them look like poor versions of themselves.

The club is effectively now a players’ graveyard and therefore unattractive to any serious professional.