Manchester United are undeniable titans of global football; they’re the most decorated team in England, and even after a post-Alex Ferguson hangover, which has been akin to an almost complete disaster, there’s a conveyor belt of managers who have taken a pop at the top job and came up short. 

The latest casualty in this regard is Ruben Amorim, managing to last just over a year before the bosses swung their axe and relieved him of his services, almost exclusively because of his press conference outburst a few days earlier, where he insinuated that he was not given the free rein that the club had promised him when he first accepted the job. As another Groundhog Day engulfs Old Trafford, and they look for yet another manager, is there any way that these issues will be resolved, and can United return to their former glory?

Systemic changes in sports media

Sportsbooks are often a good indicator of how a team will perform during the season, most notably in outright markets. Even throughout the campaign, outright odds will fluctuate, depending on injuries, form, and off-field issues. So if we take a look at Man Utd’s current fortunes, it’s easy to see why they sit outside of the top 6 outright, despite being sat in the top 6 at the moment. 

The game has changed enormously since the days of Alex Ferguson’s tenure at United. Although betting odds were prevalent back then, entire markets have since emerged, and a whole new media dynamic has shaped how people seek out their sports online, using different types of currencies to bet, such as Bitcoin.

Social media’s role in shaping opinion

Modern media has played an enormous role in shaping consumer opinion. You only need to look at the response to Man Utd’s poor performances on social media to see how much it means to people, and it must play a role in the board’s decision to ultimately sack a manager. It’s the DIY approach to social media that has helped it flourish as a tool in football and other innovative areas of sports media, such as pro video gaming, also known as esports. 

Professional video gaming, especially team gaming like Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), has established itself as a global niche within betting and serves as a good example of how the markets for both sports and betting have changed in recent years. Counter-Strike 2 odds detail just how deep and varied this market has become, and the power of streaming, which has resulted in CS2 betting platforms experiencing a golden age. 

However, it has also been prevalent in allowing prominent football streamers to take to the socials, build their brand, and have their say on their team, which often draws criticism and vociferous debate from other corners of their fanbase. 

While the rise of football games helped Man Utd develop its global fanbase throughout large parts of the early 21st century, it is the rise of social media that has helped break down barriers and connect people with communities that deal specifically with their interests, including CS2 esports, as you can see in the link below.

Is it all the manager’s fault?

What is going on at Man Utd is an uncomfortable blend that often plagues big clubs during major transitions. Many believe that the lingering presence of Alex Ferguson is still creating an atmosphere that is stopping new managers from stamping their mark and taking the club in an entirely new direction.

That said, they’ve gone through a countless list of managers, all of whom have their own unique style, did things their way, and still couldn’t get United back to the top of their perch. 

David Moyes was given a poisoned chalice to take over, but it’s a managerial role that has befallen even some of the biggest managers in European football, ranging from Jose Mourinho to Louis Van Gaal, who Wayne Rooney called the best tactical manager he ever played under, to old icons like Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs. The problem isn’t just in the dugout and out on the pitch.

Resolving the matter

United’s issue goes above and beyond the pitch. It’s been over a decade since Ferguson left. A raft of overpaid players with bad attitudes, combined with managers who do not get the chance to implement their philosophy, and a board that clearly only cares about quickfire results, is a recipe for disaster.

They need a complete reset, from top to bottom, a complete mentality switch that brings in winners instead of overpaid players who have some quality, but are far from the best. They need a dynamic manager willing to throw caution to the wind and change everything about the club’s current B-rate attitude.

Alex Ferguson rebuilt United several times on his own, but it took time; he had earned that right. While giving a new manager free rein with no success at the club is a risky strategy, it feels like Man Utd will soon have only that option left as the viable one. If this season is anything to go by, they are further away from it now than they have been for a long time, and a resolution certainly isn’t any closer now than it was a decade ago.

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