Between the transfer of Ronaldo to Real for £80 m five years ago and his retirement last summer, Ferguson bought only one player for more than £20m

David Moyes was not the reason Manchester United flopped so badly last season. Louis van Gaal is not the panacea to Old Trafford’s problems. The storm hitting the Stretford End has been brewing for nine years since the Glazer family took over the club in a leveraged buyout.

In the run-up to the new season, there were copious amounts of unrealistic positivity about United. They were widely tipped to regain a top-four place and some pundits imagined a Van Gaal-led title challenge. It is wishful thinking.

Predictions are dangerous. Two and a half years ago this column opined that United’s squad was substandard and needed “freshening up to the tune of about £100 million”. Three months later, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were Barclays Premier League