Manchester United and the Glazers: Have things ever been this bad?

Dubai: Heading into the new season, there was a renewed sense of hope and optimism at Manchester United. With club legend Michael Carrick at the helm, there was a belief that the Red Devils could build on their third-place finish in the previous campaign and take another step towards challenging for major honours again.

However, following the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era's familiar pattern, United have endured another disappointing start to a season, recording their worst league start to a campaign since 1986 while also disappointing in Europe.

With Carrick's position coming under increasing scrutiny, questions are once again being asked at Old Trafford.

But is the manager really the root of the problem, or does the blame lie higher up?

More than two decades after the Glazer family took control of the club, why does their ownership continue to attract criticism, and what needs to change for Manchester United to rediscover their former glory?

Carrick will inevitably shoulder much of the blame for United’s disappointing start to the season. As the man in charge, results and performances will always be the first measure of his success, and a club of United’s stature cannot afford to continue falling short of expectations.

However, focusing solely on the manager risks overlooking a much bigger problem at Old Trafford, one that has been building for years and goes beyond the man in the dugout.

Since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, United have cycled through managers, invested heavily in players and repeatedly attempted to rebuild their squad, yet the consistency and dominance of the Ferguson era have remained elusive. While individual managers and players must accept responsibility for their continues poor results, the frequency of these disappointments raises a bigger question about the club’s structure, decision-making and long-term direction.

At the centre of the frustration are the Glazer family, who completed their leveraged takeover of Manchester United in 2005. The deal, worth approximately £790 million, was controversial from the outset because it loaded substantial debt onto a club that had previously operated without comparable borrowing. Many supporters viewed the takeover as an ownership model that prioritised the financial interests of the owners over the long-term interests of the football club.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Glazer family is that Manchester United’s enormous financial power has not been matched by success on the pitch.

United fans have had to watch the likes of Liverpool, who rebuilt under Jurgen Klopp through strategic recruitment and long-term planning, go on to win both the Premier League and Champions League.

United’s problem has not simply been a lack of spending, but a failure to turn that investment into a consistent, successful footballing project.

The decline is also reflected in the club’s infrastructure. While Liverpool have invested in expanding and modernising Anfield, Old Trafford has continued to show its age, with reports of leaking roofs and deteriorating facilities fuelling supporter frustration.

United’s Carrington training ground also required a major refurbishment, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe investing a reported £50 million of his own money after arriving in 2024. This has left many fans questioning why such investment had not been made sooner by the Glazers, given the club’s enormous commercial success.

It is difficult to say whether this is the lowest point of the Glazer era, but after a summer filled with renewed optimism, the reality of United’s current situation is undeniably disheartening.

A club legend who understands the expectations of playing at Old Trafford, Carrick was seen as a chance to reconnect the team with its identity and bring some much-needed stability.

But, with United’s struggles once again raising questions about the direction of the club, it would be the same story if a manager were to pay the price for the club’s failings.

Whether this proves to be the lowest point of the Glazer era remains open to debate, but the bigger question is how many more setbacks can the club endure before meaningful, lasting change takes place.