Another season, another disappointment. Manchester United’s FA Cup exit to Fulham isn’t just a one-off – it’s a symptom of something far worse. Once a giant, United now look more like a fading relic, struggling to keep pace with even mid-table opposition.
The defeat itself wasn’t the worst performance, but it was telling. Playing counter-attacking football at home against Fulham? Conceding from a set piece again?
Watching yet another teenage prospect thrown into the deep end, expected to be the next great hope? This is the cycle of modern Manchester United.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, it’s been a decade of misplaced faith, false dawns, and wasted millions. Erik ten Hag’s departure cost £14.5m, while his recruits who may or may not suit Ruben Amorim’s vision racked up another £180m.
Meanwhile, the club is in financial chaos, teetering near FFP limits, losing over £100m last year, yet still finding the cash for boardroom reshuffles and executive payoffs.
And what’s left? The Europa League. Real Sociedad await, and let’s be honest at this point, anyone would be a tough opponent. Win it, and United could at least claw back Champions League football.
Lose, and next season might bring the harsh reality of Conference League football.
Meanwhile, the FA Cup is now a free-for-all. With United gone, only City remain among the so-called ‘superclubs.’ The remaining teams haven’t lifted silverware in decades.
Could this be the year we see an Aston Villa, a Wolves, or even a Coventry script an underdog fairytale? For once, the competition feels meaningful.
United fans might reminisce about last season’s FA Cup run the madness of the Liverpool game, the sheer chaos of Coventry, and that surprise final win over City.
But those were just flickers of hope. This time, there’s no such illusion. Amorim’s men sit 14th in the league. That’s closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places.
Is there progress? Is there any reason for optimism beyond blind faith?
And most importantly do you trust Jim Ratcliffe and his boardroom of penny-pinchers to recognize it when they see it?
Until United figures that out, the FA Cup will move on. And for once, it might just belong to football’s forgotten clubs the ones who haven’t spent the last decade turning themselves into a soap opera.
