The five-point plan to make Manchester United a force again

If only Victor Thorp had cut his toenails that April Sunday morning. If Thorp was onside in the 120th minute at Wembley, he would have consigned Manchester United to one of their most ignominious defeats to second-tier Coventry City. It would have been sacked in the evening, rather than the morning for Erik ten Hag.

United's season would have ended trophyless. Instead, it ended gloriously, and the game is about glory. No United fan at Wembley in May last year will forget their day in the sun.

But the club's 13th FA Cup triumph was detrimental in the long run. Sir Jim Ratcliffe lost his nerve, kept Ten Hag and United have lost 18 Premier League games already this season. They are assured of a schedule devoid of jaunts across the continent next season.

United's wallets will be hit. There will be a derisory merit payment for what could be a 17th-place finish in the Premier League, no European revenue, no matchday revenue in the Champions League and a penalty clause invoked in the Adidas deal. Roughly, that is an £80million black hole.

They have squandered nearly £15m keeping Erik ten Hag and then hiring and firing Dan Ashworth. There is also the £200m they largely misspent on players in Ten Hag's last transfer window.

2019 was the year of the 'cultural reset' at United. Reset, revamp or reboot, none of those words do United's current position justice. Without relegation (never a tangible threat), they are at rock bottom.

They have to frame next season positively. Free midweeks for Ruben Amorim to coach the players to within an inch of their lives, ample rest between matches and the motivation to ensure United do not end up anywhere near to where they are now.

Here is a five-point plan to make United a force again:

More