Manchester United’s struggles in the Premier League this season have only intensified under Ruben Amorim.
The club currently sits 15th in the table, having already sacked Erik ten Hag earlier in the campaign.
Amorim has found it difficult to turn things around.
United’s issues run far deeper than just the manager.
Raphael Varane, who left the club at the end of last season, has now explained exactly why United continue to fail.
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Speaking to The Athletic, Raphael Varane opened up about the problems he encountered during his three years at Old Trafford.
The French defender arrived in 2021.
He left a dominant Real Madrid side to take on a new challenge in England.
But while he had high hopes of helping United build towards success, he quickly realised the club lacked the structure required to compete at the top level.
“There hasn’t been a fixed methodology for years,” Varane said.
“At Madrid, they have a defined way of doing things at every level of the club.
“At Manchester, it was not clear or defined enough to know how to recruit, how to play, how to communicate.”
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According to Varane, the lack of leadership and a coherent long-term vision made it difficult for players to thrive.
“It’s not one person’s responsibility.
“That’s the problem — we don’t even know whose fault it is.
“There were too many people involved in the decision-making process.
“So we didn’t know who was really making the decisions,” Varane told Charlotte Harpur for The Athletic.
Varane contrasted United’s approach to squad building with that of Madrid.
“At Madrid, there is always a solid foundation.
“A player is added, some leave, but the structure remains.
“When you recruit young, talented players, they have to learn before they can play.
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“At United, they can recruit a very expensive young player and immediately play him.
“With all the responsibilities in an extremely difficult league.
“He’s got a huge weight on his shoulders straight away.”
Varane also highlighted how United’s reactionary approach to setbacks has led to instability.
“You have to be able to build a long-term strategy while resisting the daily pressure and matches every three days.
“That’s what’s difficult.
“For years, the fans have been expecting to win immediately.
“You have to be calm in a storm in the knowledge you are building something.
“At Real Madrid, people accept the pressure and know how to live with it,” he told Charlotte Harpur.
Raphael Varane speaks on where it went wrong with Erik ten Hag
One of the key talking points from Varane’s interview was his assessment of Erik ten Hag’s management.
Varane was a key player in Ten Hag’s first season.
However, he was suddenly dropped at the start of the 2023-24 campaign.
For two months, he barely played, despite being fully fit.
When he confronted Ten Hag, he was given no clear explanation other than that it was “for the best of the team.”
“We had a robust discussion,” Varane revealed in the chat with The Athletic.
“We told each other some truths, but then I didn’t play for almost two months.
“I said I didn’t agree with certain ways of doing things regarding the relationship between him and the team.
“It wasn’t something that I thought was good for the team because some of the players weren’t at all satisfied.”
Varane also suggested that Ten Hag tried to maintain control through fear.
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“He always needed an example of a player who was alone the entire time he was at Manchester.
“He did that with at least one important player on the team.
“In the end, he was always in conflict with certain leaders of the group.
“That is his way of managing.”
Despite the issues, Varane acknowledged that there were positives to Ten Hag’s time at United.
The Dutchman gave him the opportunity to return from injury in time for the FA Cup final.
Where United went on to defeat Manchester City at Wembley.
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But even that victory was overshadowed by speculation over Ten Hag’s future.
United eventually decided to keep the manager after an end-of-season review.
But Varane admitted he was surprised by the decision.
“The connection with the group no longer existed.”
Varane’s words to The Athletic paint a damning picture of United’s failings both on and off the pitch.
From a lack of structure to poor squad planning and internal conflicts, the club continue to suffer from deep-rooted issues.
Until those are properly addressed, United’s struggles are unlikely to end anytime soon.
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