“If me and Nicky [Butt, another MU legend from the same generation] are players now .. I think we’d choose Man City [MU’s biggest rival] .. It’s horrible saying that but when you talk about a football career, you want to get to the end of your football career with medals on the table,” lamented MU legend Paul Scholes while speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast not so long ago.
The social media feud between Manchester United’s older versus younger generations might look excessive for those who are unaware of the serious issues that have overshadowed The Red Devils since the departure of several superstar players and the iconic manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.
But, for those who have been following MU since the end of 90s, and for those who remember the legends who were part of its glory days of winning 13 EPL titles, its recent form is indeed painful to watch.
A modernized return to the old style
Fans and MU alumni applauded Michael Carrick’s move last season to bring back the MU’s counterattacking DNA by implementing a 3-3-1-3 formation that pushed the fullbacks to move higher up the pitch and instructed the “halfback” midfielder to cover the center-backs.
Not only is Carrick one of rare homegrown Red Devils brilliant managers, but his experiment in combining MU’s old style with modern high pressing was also praised as a success by fans and pundits alike.
The once-mightiest club of England was pushed down to 7th place in the Premier League when Carrick took charge. It finished 3rd by the end of the 2025/2026 season and managed to return to UEFA Champions League after failing to qualify for two consecutive seasons.
However, the real driving force behind the long-awaited success is not entirely tactics or anything related to the pitch alone.
A financially healthier United
Since INEOS acquired a 27.7% minority stake of United in 2024, a stricter financial policy has been put in place to prevent the club from recruiting underperforming players who may be difficult to sell in the future.
Clubs and agents have pushed the prices even higher every time MU has shown interest in relatively unknown players or players that are already famous with their former clubs but have not performed as well as expected. In fact, MU is not the only club in the EPL to have been trapped in such a situation over the years.
Today’s MU isn’t reluctant to say no to high-priced players simply to maintain the image of a wealthy football club. Just like in 188bet asia, a football specialists team is working together closely with coach Carrick to select competent yet affordable players so that the club will have enough funds to develop other areas, such as its youth academies.
