Manchester United can't match Bayern Munich off the pitch until the Glazers have gone

The day before Manchester United became reacquainted with Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena, Thomas Tuchel sat down and compared the ‘noise’ that reverberates around two clubs whose histories will forever be intertwined.

United and Bayern used to have plenty in common. They were the gold standard in England and Germany. The clubs everyone else loved to hate.

They both have an innate advantage in their domestic leagues through the size and scale of their support. It should have made them unstoppable. In Bayern’s case, it has done. Last season they won their 11th Bundesliga title in a row.

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It’s a run that started in 2012/13, the same season as United won their last title. Since then, these clubs have been on opposite paths. Their size remains the same, but their spirit is very different. The noise around Bayern remains one fuelled by jealously. The noise around United is best summed up as an audible shrug and the question of: where has it all gone wrong?

On the field maybe the gap isn't as wide as we thought. The 4-3 scoreline certainly flattered United on a night when they again conceded a hatful of chances, but while the game was goalless they were the better side and Bayern didn't blow them away, aside from a spell at 3-1 when they looked like they could have scored at will, but didn't.

But it's off the pitch where these clubs now occupy different stratospheres. Take this summer as the perfect example, when Bayern put in the hard work to sign Harry Kane and United decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

Bayern spent £14 million more on Kane than United did on Rasmus Hojlund and while the wages will be