Erik ten Hag couldn’t save Manchester United from itself

Manchester United have flattered to deceive for a long time.

Despite its global appeal and supporter base, the club remains bound to its northern roots.

The decline began with the sale of the club to the US -based Glazer family in 2005 .

The club’s refusal to adapt masked initially by the pragmatism and talent of manager Sir Alex Ferguson until his retirement in 2013 is now bearing its rotten fruit.

It is exactly Southgate ’s Starmer-like mundanity that means fans don’t believe he can stage a production in the theatre of dreams. Instead, it is a more modern club slogan that must capture the harsh realism of the modern United fan, suitably the club’s current X bio: “Hated. Adored. Never Ignored.”.