In my 20 years of managing teams at Old Trafford, I always found it peculiar how games there seemed to last forever.
It wasn’t just a matter of a few extra minutes added on. Some matches felt like they stretched on for hours from the sideline.
Back then, visiting Manchester United meant aiming for respectability as the best possible outcome.
Nowadays, every Premier League team visiting Old Trafford believes they have a chance to win.
Seven teams have already succeeded. United’s losses outnumber their wins at home – a stark contrast to Sir Alex Ferguson’s era, where even two home defeats signaled a crisis.
United used to be the dominant force in the country, thanks to Sir Alex’s consistently strong teams. If they were in form, opponents were in trouble.
There were times, conceding an early goal, when I’d dread a very long and difficult afternoon.
Sir Alex had an abundance of star players; it wasn’t just about stopping one or two. They were relentless, like the Red Arrows aerial display team.
They attacked with speed on both flanks, delivered numerous crosses, displayed incredible movement, and scored frequently. United could overwhelm any team.
People admire Pep Guardiola’s achievements at City, but when United were at their peak, they were equally impressive – believe me.
There were games where, after conceding early, I would think, “This is going to be a long, long afternoon.”
You’d hope your pre-match talk would instill some belief, but then players like David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes would quickly dismantle it.
Players often talk about making their home ground a fortress, but Old Trafford under Ferguson was the ultimate fortress.
There was genuine fear in facing them then. Now, it seems the fear is within the United team itself.
In Ferguson’s time, teams aimed for a draw at United. Now, many anticipate a win – Arsenal certainly will this Sunday.
After scoring seven Champions League goals away mid-week, why wouldn’t they be confident?
Imagine their scoring potential if all their forwards were fit! United, on the other hand, struggle to score even at full strength. They are significantly behind the top teams.
I like manager Ruben Amorim, but it will take years to rebuild them, if it’s even possible. Currently, it’s a great club in reputation only.
Looking at Ferguson’s United, you saw superstars everywhere. Amorim would be fortunate to have just one.
Bruno Fernandes is their closest to a star, but even then, he might just make the squad. He wouldn’t get into that legendary team.
Who would you replace? Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, even Nicky Butt or Darren Fletcher? Impossible.
If players like Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sometimes struggled for game time, Fernandes might be limited to setting up training cones and distributing bibs.
And I’m telling you, if Bruno and his teammates played against my teams when I was managing, I’d have a much better record of winning at Old Trafford.
Marcus Bellamy