The “Impossible Dream” banner so often seen over the years at Manchester United’s Old Trafford is a fan-inspired tribute to the extraordinary career of revered former manager Alex Ferguson.
These days, approaching 13 years on since his retirement following a trophy-laden era of dominance, it’s still proving to be an impossible job to successfully replace the iconic Scot who delivered a record 13 Premier League titles during his time at the club.
United hasn’t been champion of England since.
Following in the footsteps of a legend is a daunting prospect at the best of times and especially so when the club in question happens to be not just Britain’s biggest but also one of the largest in the world.
It’s why, for some, the Manchester United job has become a poisoned chalice.
Another Scot – former United midfielder and current under-18s head coach Darren Fletcher – will be the latest to oversee the Premier League giant’s first team following the turbulent and uninspiring 14-month reign of Portuguese head coach Ruben Amorim, which ended on Monday.
When Fletcher takes charge of Wednesday night’s trip to Burnley, he’ll become the 11th permanent or interim manager since Ferguson stood down in 2013.
Fletcher won five Premier League titles as a player under Ferguson, so it’s no surprise he turned to his mentor for advice before accepting the role as interim boss.
“I’ve got a really good relationship with Sir Alex, so it’s probably the first person I phoned actually, so I wanted to speak to him first – and ultimately to get his blessing, to be perfectly honest with you. I think he deserves that respect. I wanted to run it by him, what he thought, and he was supportive of it,” the 41-year-old told reporters on Tuesday.
“He echoed my thoughts which I’ve always said. It’s your job to do the best for Manchester United,” Fletcher added.
“Surreal” is how he describes the last couple of days.
“It’s an amazing honor to be able to lead a Manchester United team. I don’t even think it’s in my wildest dreams that it was something that could potentially happen. Something I’m really proud to do. Not in the circumstances I expected it to happen, so that obviously is something that doesn’t sit quite easy with me. But I’ve got a job to do and I’ve got to lead the team.”
In addition to the Burnley fixture, Fletcher is also expected to be in charge for the FA Cup third-round clash with Brighton on Sunday before a caretaker boss is appointed. Then comes the seismic task of appointing United’s latest permanent manager in time for next season.
Over the years, big names including Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Erik ten Hag have all come and gone.
United simply can’t afford to get yet another appointment wrong – yet how many times has that been said over the last decade?
Amorim – the latest incumbent in the role – was spotted out walking in Cheshire just hours after his dismissal which came the day after the 6th-placed Red Devils’ 1-1 draw at Leeds United.
The Portuguese was shown the door reportedly amid behind the scenes tension at Old Trafford, with the former Sporting CP head coach hinting on Sunday that he was unhappy with interference from the club’s leadership, insisting he was the manager of the team and “not just the coach” while adding every department at the club – including sporting director Jason Wilcox – needed to do their job.
The 40-year-old’s departure came after he ended his first season with the club in 15th place, United’s worst finish in the Premier League era and also its lowest placing since the Red Devils were relegated in 1974. His team also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham, though Amorim’s undisputed low point was the embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to fourth-tier Grimsby Town earlier this season.
According to Opta, Amorim ended his tenure with the worst win ratio (32%) and the worst goals conceded per game (1.53) in the Premier League era of any Manchester United manager.
Football writer and broadcaster Henry Winter has covered United for decades and feels the club must now take its time with the next managerial appointment and wait for the summer if necessary to get an elite coach following this year’s World Cup in North America.
Thomas Tuchel has a contract with England’s national team through the 2026 tournament while USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino has previously been linked with the United job multiple times over the years. Closer to home, former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is available while Crystal Palace’s head coach Oliver Glasner is also considered a frontrunner.
Winter believes Amorim – who employed a now infamous and rigid 3-4-3 formation during his time at United – was given a fair crack of the whip by the Manchester club, which is majority-owned by the Florida-based Glazer family. At one point late last year, the Portuguese said not even the Pope could persuade him to change tactics!
“Amorim was naively and stubbornly committed to a system that didn’t suit the squad or the club’s history,” Winter told CNN Sports while adding other factors are also in play.
“There’s an issue with leadership throughout the club from dressing room to boardroom. If the people at the top, the Glazers, aren’t passionate about the team, what message does that send internally?” he added.
CNN Sports has reached out to Manchester United for comment.
Whoever United’s next head coach is, there’s one familiar sight he’ll simply have to get used to: the presence of the great Alex Ferguson. The 84-year-old is still regularly seen at United games and was in attendance for what turned out to be Amorim’s final match in charge.
“United head coaches should be inspired by Ferguson’s presence, not intimidated. What does that say about their character?” Winter added.
And “character” is very much what Fletcher is also expecting from his players amid criticism from some of the Scot’s former United teammates now working as pundits.
“Outside noise, former players, it’s difficult to deal with. It’s not easy because those players have won everything. They’ve got success behind them, they’ve got trophies. So, it’s hard to criticize them back because they’ve got their medals on the table, so it’s really, really difficult.
“But again, that’s what it is being a Manchester United player. Get your head around it, learn how you’re going to deal with it, and embrace the challenge.”
A familiar journey of déjà vu is now underway for Manchester United and its long-suffering fans who are desperate to see past glories return to the club.
And so it begins again.
