Manchester United's Struggles: A Case Study in Leadership and Its Broader Impact

Ed Woodward's tenure as Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman ended in February 2022, marking nearly ten years of criticism regarding the club's trajectory since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. Richard Arnold succeeded Woodward, yet structural challenges at Old Trafford persist. This leadership transition coincided with one of the most turbulent decades in the club’s modern history.

On the pitch, Manchester United’s Premier League performance for the 2022–2023 season, which ended with a third-place finish under Erik ten Hag, initially seemed promising. However, the 2023–2024 campaign has reopened debates about long-term strategy. The team has struggled in domestic fixtures, losing four of its first ten matches as of October 2023, and its UEFA Champions League performance has been uninspired, with two group-stage defeats. These results have compounded the pressure on ten Hag, whose tenure began in 2022 following Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s dismissal.

"The broader structure of Manchester United’s football operations has been flawed for years," said Andy Mitten, editor of the Manchester United fanzine United We Stand. He pointed to the lack of a clear footballing philosophy as a primary issue. "Managers come and go, but the underlying problems remain," he added.

Cultural significance is central to Manchester United's identity. The club boasts a global fanbase estimated at over 1.1 billion as of 2021, according to a study by Kantar. Yet, fan sentiment has shifted. The Glazer family, owners since a leveraged buyout in 2005, face criticism for perceived underinvestment and prioritizing commercial revenue over sporting success. Protests against the Glazers intensified in April 2021 after the failed European Super League project, with thousands of fans breaking into Old Trafford, postponing a Premier League match against Liverpool, as reported by BBC.

Financially, the club remains a powerhouse. Manchester United reported revenue of £648.4 million ($792 million) for the fiscal year ending June 2023, an 11% increase from the previous year, according to Manchester United. However, profitability is tied to on-field success, particularly in elite competitions like the UEFA Champions League. Long-term underperformance risks eroding the club’s brand value, as younger fans increasingly gravitate towards rivals like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

Erik ten Hag’s transfer strategy has drawn scrutiny. Signing Antony from Ajax for £85.5 million ($104 million) in August 2022 raised questions about overpaying for familiar players. While he also brought in Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner, and Rasmus Højlund, a highly-rated young striker, the team’s imbalance in midfield and defense remains glaring. Injuries to key players such as Lisandro Martínez and Luke Shaw have exacerbated these problems, but pundits argue that squad depth was insufficiently addressed during summer transfer windows.

Former players like Gary Neville and Roy Keane have been vocal in their critiques. Speaking on Sky Sports after Manchester United's 3–1 loss to Arsenal in September 2023, Neville attributed the team’s struggles to the absence of a cohesive footballing vision at the executive level: "You can’t just keep changing managers and expecting miracles," he said, advocating for a more robust technical director model akin to those employed by Manchester City and Liverpool.

Fan morale has suffered as a result. Social media campaigns calling for a change in ownership, such as the #GlazersOut movement, have gained traction. Match-day attendance figures remain high, with Old Trafford regularly selling out its 74,310-seat capacity. However, surveys conducted by The Athletic in 2023 suggest that growing numbers of fans feel disconnected from the club’s leadership.

The unresolved sale of the club adds another layer of uncertainty. In November 2022, the Glazers announced they were exploring strategic alternatives, including a potential sale. Competing bids emerged, notably from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of INEOS. By October 2023, the process had yet to conclude, fueling speculation that the Glazers might retain partial ownership. This uncertainty hampers long-term planning, with no clarity on future investment or governance structures.

"The situation at Manchester United is a textbook example of how poor leadership at the top trickles down," said Kieran Maguire, author of The Price of Football. "It’s not just about what happens on the pitch but how that impacts the broader ecosystem—from commercial partnerships to youth recruitment."

The implications extend beyond Old Trafford. Manchester United has long been a cultural touchstone, representing footballing excellence and broader trends in global sports marketing. Decline risks diminishing that status, with potential ripple effects on the Premier League and its ability to market itself as the world’s most competitive football league.

The immediate future holds no easy fixes. Erik ten Hag faces mounting pressure to salvage the season, with key fixtures in the Premier League and Champions League looming in November 2023. Meanwhile, fans and stakeholders await updates on the ownership saga, a process that may determine whether the club can finally turn a corner or remain in its current state of flux.

The question remains whether Manchester United can reconcile its commercial ambitions with its footballing ethos—a balance that has eluded the club for nearly a decade.