Very little has gone right for the struggling Red Devils since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, after claiming his 13th Premier League title
GettyReplacing Ferguson with Moyes
It was always going to be a difficult task finding a worthy successor to Sir Alex Ferguson after his incredible success at Old Trafford but there's no denying that United erred badly in turning to the Scot's compatriot and preferred candidate, David Moyes, in the summer of 2013.
According to former Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand, Moyes was too keen to impress his authority on the club and over-stretched himself.
"David Moyes' hands were on everything," the ex-England international told .
"He was involved in the scouting, he was involved in the analysis of opposing teams, the physiotherapy, the doctors. He was involved in taking every training session. He was involved in every team meeting, every video that was being done.
"You can do that at a club like Everton, where the demands are not as big, but at Manchester United, you've got to delegate."
The end result was calamitous.
Moyes was sacked just 10 months into a six year-contract and replaced on an interim basis by Ryan Giggs with the reigning champions United languishing in seventh place in the Premier League standings.
AdvertisementGettyHiring Louis van Gaal
Van Gaal's stock had risen after leading Netherlands to a third-placed finish at the 2014 World Cup but, despite some success stories, his time at Old Trafford was a tale of tedium.
The Dutchman led United back into the Champions League, in 2015, and lifted the FA Cup the following year. However, even a Wembley win over Crystal Palace wasn't enough to spare him from the sack.
His painfully slow style of possession-orientated football had long become a source of immense frustration among the Old Trafford faithful, with United netting just 49 goals on their way to a disappointing fifth-placed finish in 2015-16, meaning many fans were glad to see the back of Van Gaal.
GettySigning Angel Di Maria
Alongside fellow new signings Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria was supposed to help transform United's fortunes under Van Gaal, after the disaster that was Moyes.
With three goals and a swag of assists in his first five Premier League games, it looked like the Argentine attacker was already on his way to becoming an Old Trafford legend.
But Di Maria did not score for the club again, as it quickly became clear he wasn't enjoying his time in Manchester.
The player wanted to leave by the end of his first season and eventually secured a passage to Paris Saint-Germain, where he still remains today.
The blame for the failure of Di Maria's spell at Old Trafford should probably be shared between the club and the player but there's no doubting that his decision to leave represented an ominous sign of United's rapidly diminshing appeal to top talent.
Getty ImagesGiving up on Depay and Zaha
Young attackers Memphis Depay and Wilfried Zaha joined United at different times, with the former signed by Van Gaal for the 2015-16 season, while Zaha was acquired by Ferguson and loaned back to Crystal Palace before being welcomed back into the squad under Moyes.
It was clear neither player was completely ready to be a regular starter but their natural talent was obvious, so both should have been kept on the books while benefiting from first-team football elsewhere.
Indeed, since leaving Old Trafford, both players have developed significantly, with Lyon ace Depay having become a key man for Netherlands, and Palace star Zaha now regarded as one of the most dangerous dribblers in the Premier League.