Ten years have passed since their 0-1 defeat to Newcastle on December 9, 2013, during which time Man Utd has gradually declined from their previous standing.
On December 9, 2013, Newcastle defeated hosts Manchester United thanks to a goal from Yohan Cabaye, securing their first win at Old Trafford since 1972. This result marked David Moyes' Manchester United's fifth Premier League defeat of the 2013-2014 season, and their second in four days, following a 0-1 loss to Everton. Manchester United, as the defending champions, dropped to ninth place, 12 points behind league leaders Arsenal, shattering their hopes of defending the title before Christmas.
Goalkeeper De Gea and center-back Jonny Evans were disappointed after Manchester United conceded a goal to Yohann Cabaye in their 0-1 defeat to Newcastle in the Premier League at Old Trafford on December 9, 2013. Photo: PA
Following that defeat to Everton, Moyes frankly admitted the team's shortcomings. Man Utd's Twitter account – now renamed X – summarized it as follows: "David Moyes says Man Utd need to improve in a number of areas, including passing, chances creation and defending." It's hard to imagine any official club channel today posting such alarming information.
Over the past 10 years, every time Manchester United changed managers and results didn't improve, posts about Moyes' statements were brought up for discussion. These comments date back to 2014, when Moyes was sacked after just 10 months as Man Utd's "Chosen One" in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era; 2017 when Jose Mourinho was in charge; 2020 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer; and even 2022 when Erik ten Hag struggled initially. This is not to mention other brief stints under Louis van Gaal and interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
"Moyes' tweet was symbolic of a decade of mediocrity and decline at England's biggest club. Ten years later, it's hard to say whether Ten Hag's Man Utd has made any positive changes," commented the British newspaper Sportmail .
Manchester United's tweet on December 9, 2013, reflected manager Moyes' disappointment after the 0-1 defeat to Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Over the past 10 years, Man Utd have won two League Cups, one FA Cup, one Europa League, and reached the FA Cup final twice and the Europa League final once. Most other English clubs would be satisfied with that record, but for Man Utd, it's still evidence of decline and results considered too mediocre compared to their former glory under Ferguson. In the decade before that – 2003 to 2013 – the Red Devils won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup once, the League Cup three times, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup.
In the Premier League, seventh place under Moyes was the lowest finish in the post-Ferguson era, but Man Utd also finished sixth three times. The Old Trafford side also finished second twice, but were far behind champions Man City, with 19 points in the 2017-2018 season and 12 points in the 2020-2021 season.
Losses to Newcastle or Everton under Moyes in 2013 were rare occurrences, but now they have become commonplace. In the same month of December, Moyes' Man Utd were still playing in the League Cup and topped their Champions League group. The current Man Utd, however, lost 0-3 to Newcastle in the fourth round of the League Cup and are bottom of their Champions League group. Sportmail suggests that Ten Hag's team would have a greater chance of winning a title if they dropped down to the Europa League.
Prior to their most recent match – a humiliating 0-3 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth – Man Utd had lost 10 games across all competitions – double the tally from the same period a decade ago – and were struggling both offensively and defensively. Ten Hag's side had scored 33 and conceded 35 goals in 22 games this season. In contrast, in the first 22 games of the 2013-2014 season, Man Utd scored 38 and conceded only 22 goals.
Defender Marcos Senesi (center) celebrates the goal that sealed Bournemouth's 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the 16th round of the Premier League at Old Trafford on December 9, 2023. Photo: AFP
If Moyes had complained and expressed concerns about Manchester United's defense back then, the situation is far worse now. Ten years ago, the Scottish manager still had plenty of star players like Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, and highly-rated names such as Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Antonio Valencia, Rafael Da Silva, and Chris Smalling. Ironically, Evans, now 35, has returned to Old Trafford on a short-term contract and is perfectly capable of being a starter if not for injury.
In 2013, after a defeat to Newcastle, Moyes complained about having to use Robin van Persie for the full 90 minutes when he wasn't in top form. But what Moyes once complained about is now a dream for Ten Hag. The current Manchester United manager is desperate for a top-class striker like his former compatriot, as Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and Antony have all been disappointing. Manchester United's top scorer this season is Scott McTominay – the midfielder who was put on the transfer market in summer 2023 – with six goals.
In the Premier League alone, Man Utd created 26 clear-cut chances in their first 15 matches up to the win against Chelsea on December 6th, averaging 1.73 clear-cut chances per 90 minutes. This figure was a disappointing 1.39 clear-cut chances per 90 minutes for the entire 2013-2014 season. This is a disappointing performance considering Man Utd still possessed a highly-rated midfield with players like Valencia, Juan Mata, Shinji Kagawa, Tom Cleverley, Adnan Januzaj, Michael Carrick, and Marouane Fellaini.
Van Persie's header was saved by goalkeeper Tim Krul during Manchester United's 0-1 defeat to Newcastle at Old Trafford on December 9, 2013. Photo: Reuters
Over the past 10 years, Man Utd have spent £1.2 billion (over $1.5 billion) on new signings, but have shown no signs of improvement. Big-name signings like Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Fred, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Angel Di Maria, and Memphis Depay were all highly anticipated, only to leave without making a significant impact. The same could soon happen to Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek, Raphael Varane, or Casemiro.
Changing managers also proved ineffective. Moyes lost too many games, Van Gaal's boring style of football didn't win over the fans, while Mourinho couldn't revive Man Utd despite initial successes. Solskjaer saw his legendary status at the club quickly erode, and he's the only one who hasn't helped Man Utd win any trophies in the post-Ferguson era.
Ten Hag also had a positive first season, but is now under a lot of pressure from the start of the new season. Man Utd is currently criticized for its inconsistency, lack of identity, unclear playing style, and unconvincing performances even when winning. Perhaps the positive point is that Ten Hag's team is currently sixth in the Premier League with 30 points, only six points behind Man City, who are in fourth place.
"The 2-1 win against Chelsea may mark a turning point, but after all, Man Utd are still behind Man City in the standings. And in the 10 years since that tweet on December 9, 2013, it's hard to see any signs of progress from Man Utd," commented Sport Mail .
Manager Erik ten Hag directs Harry Maguire during Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the 15th round of the Premier League at Old Trafford on December 6th. Photo: Reuters
However, the "turning point" that Sport Mail referred to doesn't seem to have materialized for Man Utd yet. In their most recent match, also on December 9th, exactly 10 years after their defeat at the hands of Newcastle, the "Red Devils" once again left their fans heartbroken with a humiliating 0-3 loss to Bournemouth.
Hong Duy
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