Former England footballer Gary Lineker has criticized the legacy left by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, suggesting the club’s decline can be traced back to the squad Ferguson left behind upon his retirement in 2013.

Ferguson, who retired after securing his 13th Premier League title, left a team with several aging key players, including Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, Michael Carrick, and Robin van Persie. Club stalwarts Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were also nearing the end of their playing days.

Lineker’s comments were made in the context of Manchester United’s recent FA Cup defeat to Fulham, a performance he described as lackluster.

His statements echo sentiments reportedly held by INEOS, the club’s current owners, who have attributed part of United’s ongoing struggles to Ferguson’s reluctance to modernize coaching and scouting practices during his tenure.

In contrast to Ferguson’s United, Lineker praised the state in which Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool. Under Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot, Liverpool has maintained a strong structure, which Lineker believes was lacking at United post-Ferguson.

Manchester United have spent significant sums over the last decade, yet a cohesive structure seems absent,” Lineker noted. “Player acquisitions appear disjointed, lacking a coherent long-term strategy for style and identity.”

The ongoing discourse around Manchester United’s stagnation highlights the challenges faced by the club in regaining its former glory, despite substantial financial investment.