Summary
Manchester United's decline dates back to Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, as the club failed to replicate their success.
David Moyes ended up being the wrong fit to replace the legendary Scotsman.
Ferguson earmarked five other names as potential candidates, two of which later joined United.
The moment that Manchester United's decline well and truly got underway can be pinpointed to one exact moment – the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. For all that has been said of the mismanagement of the club by the Glazer family, the Scottish icon was still able to hold things together with the Americans in charge and keep the Red Devils successful.
When David Moyes came in to replace him, the slippery slope towards the bottom began, though to suggest it was Moyes' fault would be harsh. Plenty of other high-calibre managers fell foul to the same situation after his 2014 departure, so it clearly wasn't all down to him.
What is also true, though, is that Moyes was out of his depth when he stepped foot into the Old Trafford hotseat. While he had done a good job at Everton, that wasn't enough to prepare him for the beast he was going to inherit. It makes you wonder, what could've happened if a more elite manager had been put in place from the get-go? Well, according to Ferguson's words in his 2015 autobiography, five other men were shortlisted, with two of them even going on to eventually take charge and fail to restore the club to their former glory.
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Louis van Gaal
The Dutchamn replaced Moyes following the 2014 World Cup
The first name to kick off Fergie's fabulous five is the man who would ultimately replace Moyes starting from the 2014/15 season – Louis van Gaal. Therefore, we can safely say that the former Barcelona head coach would not have been able to prevent the club from slipping, though they may not have done as badly as they did under his predecessor.
The reason United didn't snap him up at the first time of asking was that he was committed to the Netherlands job ahead of the 2014 World Cup, where he led Robin van Persie and co to a third-place finish. His boring and pragmatic style didn't take United to the same heights, finishing fourth and fifth in his two Premier League seasons, still making him one of the more successful Dutch bosses. He did manage to lift the FA Cup in his final ever game in charge, so Van Gaal at least left with his head held high.
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho would go on to replace Van Gaal
From the man who replaced Moyes to the man who replaced Van Gaal. It seemed destined, given the respect he had for Ferguson, that Jose Mourinho would try to fill his shoes at United. Come 2016, this became a reality, three years after his good friend wanted it to be the case.
Mourinho had already given his word to Roman Abramovich that he would return to Chelsea in 2013, and he even picked up a Premier League title during that stint. While it could be easy to say that he wouldn't have fixed United because he couldn't during his actual reign - even if he claims their second-placed Premier League finish was among his best - his sacking from Chelsea the second time around was almost the end of the Mourinho aura. He still had that prior to his Stamford Bridge comeback, and may have used it to his advantage had he joined the Red Devils then.
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Jurgen Klopp
The German would eventually win the Premier League with Liverpool
Imagine a world in which Jurgen Klopp moved to Manchester rather than Merseyside. The footballing landscape may have looked completely different. Klopp was still a budding young manager in 2013, though he had just taken Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final. He was on Ferguson's radar, but the Scot knew he wouldn't be able to prize him away from Signal Iduna Park.
The German had not long signed a new deal at the club, so him leaving was not likely. He would then rule the roost at Anfield and help the Reds end their barren run in the Premier League.
Carlo Ancelotti
The Italian joined Real Madrid that summer
Another name that Ferguson had in mind to bring back to English football was Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian had found success at Chelsea in the early 2010s and was one of the most revered managers in European football. However, the chance of a move to the Theatre of Dreams was dashed as Ancelotti was selected as the man to replace Mourinho at the Bernabeu, where he would win the Champions League during his two-year spell.
Of course, after spells at Bayern Munich, Everton, and Napoli, the 'Don' would return to Madrid and win another two league titles, cementing his legacy as one of the very best managers on the planet.
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Pep Guardiola
The former Barcelona coach went on to great success at Manchester City
The number one choice. Of course, it had to be Pep Guardiola. The Catalan native went to war with Ferguson in two Champions League finals, winning the both, and the admiration the two had for each other could not be understated. However, the Scot revealed that despite wanting the former Barcelona man to take over, he opted to take up the Bayern Munich job instead:
"I asked Pep to phone me before he accepted an offer from another club but he didn't and wound up joining Bayern Munich in July 2013."
Had he listened, Guardiola may have been painting the city red all these years.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 18/03/2025