It’s 10 years since Man United tweeted out David Moyes’ frustrations about their passing, chance creation and defending… As Erik ten Hag struggles to get England’s biggest club back on track, has anything actually improved?

Even back then, it was a sign of how the mighty had fallen.

It was December 9, 2013 and Newcastle United had two days earlier claimed their first league victory at Old Trafford since 1972. Yohan Cabaye’s second-half objective cut up the groups.

For David Moyes and Manchester United, it was their fifth league lack of the season and their second within the area of 4 days after his former club Everton had additionally gained 1-0.

United, the reigning Premier League champions, languished within the unfamiliar depths of ninth place within the desk.

They sat 12 factors adrift of leaders Arsenal and have been in real hazard of their title defence being completed by Christmas.

At his subsequent press convention, as Moyes bemoaned his crew’s shortcomings, the official United Twitter account summarised it as: ‘David Moyes says #mufc should enhance in quite a lot of areas, together with passing, creating probabilities and defending.’

It’s actually laborious to think about any official club channel placing out one thing as damning these days.

‘Basically taking part in soccer then,’ was one of many pithy replies.

Periodically, because the years have passed by and United have switched from one supervisor to one other with out getting remotely shut to rediscovering the glory days, the put up has been returned to.

There are replies from 2014, when Moyes was sacked after simply 10 months as United’s ‘Chosen One’ post-Alex Ferguson, from 2017 when Jose Mourinho was in cost, 2020 beneath Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and even 2022 as Erik ten Hag struggled at first.

The tweet has change into a sort of digital shrine to a decade of mediocrity and decline at England’s biggest club.

On the 10th anniversary, it’s honest to ask whether or not Ten Hag’s United are any additional alongside the street.

Manager-wise, they have been by means of Louis van Gaal, Mourinho and Solskjaer between Moyes then and Ten Hag now. Let’s not overlook the odd interregnum of Ralf Rangnick too.

The decade has seen them win the EFL Cup twice, one FA Cup and the Europa League. They’ve additionally reached one other two FA Cup finals and misplaced the Europa League remaining in 2021.

Most golf equipment in England can be fairly glad with that return however United have been coming down from such a excessive bar beneath Ferguson.

In the last decade prior, they have been Premier League champions 5 occasions, gained one FA Cup, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.

The seventh-placed league end beneath Moyes has been the low-point since however United have completed sixth on three events.

When they’ve been runners-up, it has been as a mere speck on Man City’s rear-view mirror. 19 factors behind in 2017-18 and 12 adrift in 2020-21. Genuine title aspirations have been rapidly dashed.

When Moyes’s facet misplaced to Newcastle in 2013, it was a once-in-a-generation occasion. For Newcastle, it was their first Old Trafford win in 41 years, for Everton the earlier recreation a primary in 21.

But such wins have since change into regular for a lot of groups as United’s Ferguson-era worry issue disintegrated into being merely simply one other opponent.

In 2013-14, that was United’s fifth defeat of the season in all competitions and we have been effectively into December. They have been nonetheless within the League Cup and had bossed their Champions League group.

But this stuff can not be taken as a right. Ten Hag’s crew bombed out of the Carabao Cup, shedding 3-0 at residence to Newcastle, and have made a proper horlicks of Europe.

Having gained only one and misplaced three of their Champions League group video games, they discover themselves within the unenviable place of needing to beat Bayern Munich subsequent week and hoping Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw to sneak into the last-16.

Given their vulnerabilities, frankly it might be higher in the event that they dropped into the Europa League, the place they could stand a chance of profitable.

Overall this season, they’ve misplaced 10 matches – double the tally at this stage a decade in the past – and are struggling in each penalty packing containers.

The present crop have scored 33 objectives and conceded 35 in 22 matches. In their first 22 video games in 2013-14 – which takes us to the identical date if the Community Shield is excluded – they’d scored 38 and conceded 22.

So if Moyes feared for United’s defending then, the image is loads worse now. 

He might nonetheless name upon the fearsome mixture of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, in addition to Patrice Evra, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Antonio Valencia, Rafael Da Silva and Chris Smalling.

There is a sure irony that Evans, now 35, has boomeranged back to Old Trafford and would most likely be beginning video games if he wasn’t at the moment injured.

After that Newcastle defeat, Moyes complained about having to maintain Robin van Persie on for the entire 90 when he was battling a knock.

Ten Hag would little question love to have somebody as ruthlessly scientific as his compatriot now as Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and others wrestle for rhythm.

Let’s not overlook United’s main goalscorer this season is midfielder Scott McTominay – with six.

In phrases of chance creation, there isn’t any doubt United regarded rather more harmful in Wednesday evening’s 2-1 win over Chelsea than they’ve for many of the season.

Overall, they’ve created 26 ‘huge’ probabilities in 15 league video games this season, or 1.73 per 90. Back in 2013-14, this determine throughout the entire marketing campaign was simply 1.39.

But actually it needs to be higher – back then, their highest midfield look makers included Valencia, Juan Mata (after January), Shinji Kagawa, Tom Cleverley, Adnan Januzaj, Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini. Hardly classic by United’s requirements.

The predominant level to be made is that in 10 years, United have splashed out an unbelievable £1.2billion on new signings and do not seem to have moved on.

The likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Fred, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Angel Di Maria and Memphis Depay – signed for eye-watering sums – have all been and gone having made little impression.

It’s doable that losses might quickly be minimize on Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek, Raphael Varane and Casemiro – but extra outrageous wastage.

As the Glazer household drag their heels over Sir Jim Ratcliffe shopping for a mere quarter of the club, and taking cost of an out-of-kilter recruitment technique, fan frustration is rising.

The greatest insurance coverage for Ten Hag if outcomes do not enhance is that the chop and change coverage of the previous decade clearly hasn’t labored.

Moyes misplaced too many video games, Van Gaal’s stultifying soccer and overbearing strategies made him unpopular, whereas Mourinho’s was at all times doubtless to combust ultimately regardless of preliminary success.

Solskjaer discovered his club legend standing at United quickly corroded away, his tenure a narrative of so close to and but to this point.

Ten Hag does not endure fools and his first season was, by any measure, a constructive one. But regardless of extra spending, there has been an sudden regression this season.

Even once they win, United often look unconvincing and Ten Hag’s crew, nonetheless devoid of any discernible type, appear to exist within the hope the nook is about to be turned.

Maybe the win over Chelsea does herald a brand new daybreak and, in any case, they’re simply three factors behind City within the desk – someway.  

But in 10 years since that tweet went out, it is troublesome to see how United have moved ahead a lot in any respect.