“We are now in the same situation”: Sir Alex Ferguson explains when United can win the league

Manchester United have endured a prolonged dip in form since Sir Alex Ferguson called time on his managerial career at the end of the 2012/13 season. The legendary Scottish manager spent over 25 years at the Theatre of Dreams, overseeing a golden period in the club’s history. By the time he retired, Sir Alex had won 38 trophies with the Red Devils, including a record 13 Premier League titles. Sir Alex Ferguson Managerial Stats TeamFromToRecord Games PlayedGames WonGames DrawnGames LostWin % East StirlingshireJune 1974October 19741792652.9 St MirrenOctober 1974May 197816974415443.8 AberdeenJune 19786 November 19864592721058259.3 Scotland1 October 198530 June 19861034330.0 Manchester United6 November 198619 May 20131,50089533826759.7 Total—2,1551,25349041258.1 Source: Wikipedia. Finding his replacement was never going to be easy, as evidence by the English giants’ struggles over the past decade. United’s recent managerial woes United appointed David Moyes as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor in the summer of 2013, but he was gone before the end of the season. Louis van Gaal won the FA Cup and then lost his job, before Jose Mourinho ignited brief hopes of a resurgence. The ‘Special One’ enjoyed an impressive debut campaign, winning the EFL Cup and the Europa League, yet did not last long at the Theatre of Dreams. His successor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, failed to win trophies, while Ralf Rangnick, who took over from the Norwegian, was merely a short-term solution. Erik ten Hag secured the EFL Cup and the FA Cup in his first two seasons, but after a poor start to the following campaign, he was removed from his duties. Former Sporting manager Ruben Amorim was identified as the ideal candidate to take the English giants forward, although he has endured a mixed time so far. The Portuguese head coach managed a 15th-place finish last season, and his team sit sixth in the Premier League after 16 games this campaign. Sir Alex has now offered his opinion on Amorim and the Red Devils’ recent struggles. Premier League success likely to take time Speaking to Press Box PR, the legendary Scot praised Amorim but warned that it could be more than a decade before United win the league again. He said: “He [Amorim] is a good personality. It is not easy.” “I remember looking back on my own time there, starting off when Liverpool were the bee’s knees. They were a fantastic club winning the European Cup four times and all that, but then it took them 31 years to win the league again.” “We are now in the same situation. It could be ten years, could be 11 years, because of that cycle. It has to be thought out carefully and we have to make sure the recruitment is going to be better than what it was.” Sir Alex went on to speak highly of the new signings Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. “I think the appointment of the goalkeeper [Senne Lammens] has made a difference. He’s young at 23, he’s quick, a big lad, good feet and hands, and I think that helps. I think they have needed that player. United have always had inspirational players over the years. I think that has helped,” said Sir Alex. “The other two, [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Matheus] Cunha, they look as if they will contribute to the recovery of our form.” Amorim has touched on Sir Alex’s comments during his recent press conference and you can read it here. Final Thoughts United’s success under Sir Alex was a result of long-term plans and an unwavering trust in youth, and the Red Devils have tried to replicate that formula to no avail over the past decade. However, INEOS have made some smart changes behind the scenes in recent times, which have contributed to the many positives this season. It remains to be seen, however, if their decision to trust Amorim over the summer will be vindicated. Since the start of October, Manchester United have lost just one Premier League game. No side has lost fewer in that timeframe. Just need to turn some of those draws into wins. 👊 pic.twitter.com/7TNAitTTRi — Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 19, 2025 Featured image Warren Little via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.