Pandora Peaceman 
Let me quickly confess that I am a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Manchester United. And, I have been one for more than 50 years, this explains the reason for the headline.
My love affair with the team began ever since I watched the flamboyant long-haired George Best (the first recognised football galactico) lead the Red Devils to European glory in 1968 on a grainy black and white television with my father.
Best, along with Dennis Law and Bobby Charlton, affectionately called the ‘United Trinity,’ were the standouts that ensured the team became a household name beyond the island nation, with their attacking brand of football.
The Red Devils were synonymous with winning trophies both in the domestic league and Cup competitions, while their triumph over Benfica in 1968 meant they became the first team from England to have conquered the continent.
But, sadly, after the retirement of Matt Busby a year after his side’s proudest moment, the 4-1 demolition of the Portuguese team at Wembley, United hit the doldrums and I can still vividly recall how I watched with anguish as first Liverpool and in recent years our ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City supplanted us as the new kings of English football.
The Old Trafford outfit went through a succession of managers, in a desperate attempt to recapture the glory days.
But while a number gave us hope by winning the FA Cup, they were never able to capture the Holy Grail – the league title.
It was to be 26 heart-breaking years before the club’s hierarchy finally hit the jackpot, when they took a massive gamble in bringing a certain Alex Ferguson to the Theatre of Dreams in 1986.
But even the man, who had broken the grip of the Scottish giants – Celtic and Rangers – to guide un-fancied Aberdeen to the title in 1980 and European Cup Winners’ Cup three years later, got off to an inauspicious start to his United reign after his side failed to win any trophy.
According to reports, the Old Trafford hierarchy was running out of patience and was considering getting rid of Sir Alex in 1990 when he landed his first trophy – the FA Cup.
The following season he added the European Cup Winners’ Cup to the club’s trophy cabinet, beating favourites Barcelona 2-1 in the final.
That ensured he kept his job and the rest as they say is history. Sir Alex became the club’s longest-serving and most successful manager, winning 38 trophies, including 13 league titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League titles between 1986 and 2013. In the 1998–99 season, under Ferguson, the club became the first in the history of English football to achieve the continental treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
Unfortunately since his retirement in 2013, the club has returned to the doldrums and gone through another succession of managers in a desperate attempt to return to glorious days.
Some of them, like Louis van Gal and Jose Mourinho are outstanding names when it comes to coaching; and yet they along with David Moyes, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and Erik ten Hag have all failed to return the club to the heights it wants to be.
Under them fans have had the luxury of celebrating cup triumphs like the FA Cup and Europa League, but are yet to enjoy league success.
Under its 10th manager, Ruben Amurim, the club is currently going through its worst run in 51 years and it has been very depressing, watching the once mighty United lurch from one set-back after another, as the players struggle to come to grips with the philosophy of their Portuguese manager.
The young tactician who was only brought in last November to replace the much-despised Dutch handler, Eric Ten Hag, is sadly finding things unbelievably tough stamping his imprint on the 20 times English champions.
Brought in on the strengthen of his impressive resume with Sporting CP, with whom he guided to a domestic double in 2021, ending the club’s 19-year league title drought, Amurim, who only turned 40 on January 27, has sadly seen that the Portuguese league is a totally different kettle of fish to the Premier League, after officially becoming the manager with the poorest winning percentage of 29 per cent (after 14 games) since the great Ferguson retired in 2013.
David Moyes, who was recommended by the two-time Champions League winner, Sir Alex, to take over from him, was booted out after only 34 games and still had a decent (50 per cent) win rate.
Other managers and their win rates are: Louis van Gaal 51 per cent (from 76 games); Jose Mourinho 54 per cent (93); Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 51 per cent (109) and Eric Ten Hag 52 per cent (85).
Even ETH, whose team finished eighth place last season with 60 points, their lowest position in the top flight since the 1989–90 season, had a better winning percentage.
For many, one of the major reasons why Amorim’s team is floundering is his stubborn refusal to jettison his preferred system for one which the players are used to, at least until the end of the season when he can then try to bring in players more suited to his style of play.
Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Spurs, which were also on a poor run before the game, was United’s 13th of the season in all competitions and their ninth since Amorim took charge.
The loss meant Amorim’s injury-hit Red Devils dropped to 15th – just 12 points clear of the relegation zone. In fact, the only sides with more defeats are the current bottom two – Leicester (nine) and Southampton (10).
And things do not get any easier for the Portuguese as his side face Everton this afternoon in the early kick-off with scrutiny bound to be intense as the Red Devils square up against their former manager.
The Goodison Park outfit; unlike United, have enjoyed a new manager bounce with the 61-year-old having an immediate impact.
One point clear of the Premier League relegation zone and with just three wins in 19 matches, Everton were in a perilous position when Moyes was reappointed as manager on January 11. A little over a month later, however, the Merseyside club are suddenly the in-form team in the top flight and are now one place above the Red Devils.
On the balance of what we have seen so far, there is no guarantee that we fans would not be in for another disheartening afternoon of football!
However, one thing is certain, no matter the outcome of this game and the whole season – I will remain a Man U fan.
