How do you solve a problem like Man United?

Manchester United are a mess. They are one of the biggest football clubs in the world, but they are rapidly sliding into football obscurity.

United have now gone nearly 15 years without winning the Premier League. And they frequently miss out on Champions League qualification. To make matters worse, during United’s recent barren years, their biggest rivals Liverpool and Manchester City have been filling up their trophy cabinets.

United’s team features world-class international players, but their title drought isn’t going to end any time soon.

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Something is rotten at Old Trafford. United are not the team they should be. Is it the managers? Is it the players? Is it the weight of expectation?

Current manager Ruben Amorim hasn’t been able to halt the decline. United are enduring their worst ever Premier League season. They have become a laughing stock. And off the pitch, the fans remain bitterly unhappy with the owners. Although Manchester-born billionaire Jim Ratcliffe bought a stake in the club, the Glazer family remain firmly in control, and Ratcliffe has failed to be the knight in shining armour many United fans thought he would be.

United are years away from challenging for the Premier League title. So, who’s to blame?

After continuous spending, managers like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag failed to make progress. Yet they can’t say they weren’t given money to spend. But do United spend it wisely? Do they buy the right players?

According to CIES Football Observatory, United have a net spend of over £1 billion in the last decade (AUD $1.9 billion). That figure is considerably higher than any of their Premier League rivals.

Old Trafford has become a graveyard for players’ careers. Players brought in as potential future superstars have failed to perform.

Buying well is obviously key to being a successful manager. But you must also get the best out of your players. Just as United’s former manager Alex Ferguson did. He turned average players into winners. And Amorim needs to do the same. Especially as United can no longer attract the world class players who previously were eager to move to Old Trafford.

Ruben will have to work with what he’s got, and what he gets.

Worryingly for United, once underperforming players leave the pressure cooker of Old Trafford, they flourish. Antony, Marcus Rashford, and Scott McTominay are all playing well for their new clubs. McTominay is on the brink of winning the Italian league with Napoli.

It’s hard to know what the problem is with most of United’s current players. Is it their attitude? Is it fitness? Is it the manager’s tactics? You sometimes get the feeling that some of United’s underperforming players would excel at other clubs.

Amorim’s famous 3-4-3 formation has not worked. And he has been stubbornly reluctant to change it. United have become accustomed to losing, and the manger must shoulder a considerable amount of blame. Although most United supporters back him publicly, some worry he’s not up to the mammoth task of reviving their team.

No club, however big, has a divine right to success. But some clubs expect it. And United are one of those clubs. Manchester United cannot accept being 14th in the league. They must see tangible signs of improvement.

The problem is, the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world and rivals Liverpool, and City have two of the very best managers in the business. Amorim needs to reach the same level as Arne Slot, and Pep Guardiola – and then surpass them.

United supporters dearly want Ruben to be successful. Yes, they know that new managers need time. But they also crave success. They don’t want to see perpetual mediocrity.

Trophies that were once unimportant to the Red Devils, such as the League Cup, are now desperately fought for. And the big prizes, the Premier League, and Champions League may still be years away.

Continuous failure cannot be tolerated at The Theatre of Dreams. “We’re getting closer” or “we’re just a couple of quality players away from seriously challenging” are phrases that United fans are tired of hearing.

They’re willing to be patient, but many United fans fear that their club won’t win the Premier League for many years.

So, is Amorim the man to bring success back to Old Trafford? He is only going to face more and more scrutiny. This summer’s transfer window will be pivotal for him. He will have the opportunity to buy the players he wants. Players who suit his system.

If results don’t improve significantly next season, after he’s been given money to spend on players he chose, then the exit door will be looming.