When legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson decided to call time on a coaching career that had spanned 4 decades in may of 2013, not many would have envisaged Manchester united's fall from the very top of English football, as they had just wrapped up their 20th league title (the most in England) maybe an 'unforseen circumstance' it was, but the problems that would plague Manchester united for the next 6 years had early signs deeply rooted into the waters in the Scotsman's last season in charge, an ailing squad and arguably the worst united side to win the league during his tenure were just a little part of the problem, but what really was the problem?

Manchester united went into the following season with little reasons to be pessimistic with a successor that had been appointed by SAF himself at the dugout and the core of a squad that had just won the league, but how wrong were they?

Maroaune fellaini was the only notable addition to an already depleted squad and was only signed on transfer deadline day further highlighting the incompetence at board level and scatter gun recruitment policy that was inevitable the moment David gill, a man that had been the brains behind the signing of Manchester united's best talents over the years and had an astounding recruitment policy, was replaced by Ed Woodward, an American banker with great financial credentials but little or no knowledge about the game, in the summer of 2013,there and then was the beginning of Manchester united's downfall.

Alexis Sanchez scored just 3 premier league goals for united

This scatter gun approach has become evident over the years as player's have been signed just for their name and marketing value, rather than what they bring to a team hence the reason why most of them have flopped, Angel Di maria, Radamel falcao, Memphis depay, bastain shweinsteiger constitute just part of that list, but the highlight of this was the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, a player clearly on decline and had been firmly courted by pep guardiola at man city, a marketing ploy? Trying to get one over their rivals? Any could easily justify why the player was signed on a wage of over 350,000 Euros midway into the season for a position that Manchester united already had covered and this has further become evident in the way things panned out at the club on the pitch, the structure in place at Manchester united is almost non-existent and you could also argue that the club do not have an identity on the pitch and much of this is down to the lack of quality both on and of the pitch, player's ? Manager ? Recruitment personnel ?

The Nostalgic embryo at the club has grown significantly over the past 6 months, with the appointment of ex-player and fan favorite ole Gunnar solskjaer as manager, such a cliché move by the club when things go sour, reminiscenct of the time Ryan giggs was put in temporary charge at the club after David moyes had got the sack, the Norwegian has clearly adopted a British transfer policy, counter-attacking as his style and seeks to play a blinder with youths in an ambitious attempt to emulate sir Alex Ferguson's time at the club, all of the aforementioned seemed to be the recipe for success for the Scotsman, but not many would be able to achieve so much success as he did with it, not even the highly revered pep guardiola and so it remains to be seen how much of a success solskjaer can achieve, the squad look's it's worst in years now with a glaring lack of quality in key areas and getting the best out of it would seem like a hard ask, but all of this could easily have been avoided with key signings in the summer, but as ever the in- competencies at board level came into factor, a constant turbulence in the failed tenures of his pre-decessors, Jose mourinho, Louis van gaal and David moyes.

A critical element of united's recent failures has been the lack of a Director of football at the club, someone to duly handle the recruitment of players at the club that would seek to end this scatter-gun approach and panic buys that has now become a culture at the club, a position that requires great technical expertise to aid the club forward, the mainstream media has been reporting about their plans to recruit one for a while now and if the rumours are anything to go by, it would be another ex-player in charge of that position, further proof of how Manchester united are grooving in Nostalgia, they look like a club washed in shambles and hoping a Ferguson success recipe is what would restore the glory days back to the club, if that is not being stuck in the past, then i don't know what is ?.