Former Manchester United coach René Meulensteen says he is stunned that the Red Devils have failed to win a Premier League title since 2013.
The Dutchman, who worked alongside Sir Alex Ferguson from 2007 to 2013, believes the club would have secured more league honours had the legendary Scot remained in charge.
According to Meulensteen, the biggest issue at Old Trafford after Ferguson’s retirement was the loss of stability and continuity.
Meulensteen rues fall from grace
In an exclusive, sit-down interview with BestBettingSites, Meulensteen said: “If you had told me when I left in 2013 that United wouldn’t win a Premier League title for the next 13 years, I wouldn’t have believed it.
“People like to claim that Sir Alex left behind an aging team, but if he had stayed another year or two, we would have been right there winning the league again.
“The squad had vast experience in knowing how to win, and we just needed to inject a few young, energetic signings to keep pushing forward.
“But once Sir Alex, myself, Mike Phelan and Eric Steele all departed at once, the wheels completely came off.”
READ MORE: Man Utd news: Fergie would have harnessed Rashford potential, says Muelensteen
Loss of stability and continuity
Asked about the problems United faced once Ferguson left, Meulensteen added: “The biggest impact when Sir Alex Ferguson left was, of course, Sir Alex himself.
“The Glazers took Manchester United’s success for granted without fully grasping how critical he was to the entire structure he had built around him.
“When you take the heartbeat out of an organisation, you are left with just the shell.
“That was the primary message communicated back to David Moyes by myself, Mike Phelan and Eric Steele.
“Our advice to David was simple: sit in Sir Alex’s chair, keep the proven framework intact, let us run the daily operations and ease your way into the role.
“David had his own ideas, which is understandable, but radically altering a proven formula that delivered success for decades was a massive risk.
“When Sir Alex, Mike, Eric and I all departed, the club lost its entire foundation of stability and continuity overnight.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Man Utd: ‘Management is an incredibly difficult job’ – René Meulensteen backs Michael Carrick
