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Manchester United's decline has been more than a decade in the making, according to Phil Neville, who believes the club have been plagued by the same problems ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left. Neville, who joined David Moyes' coaching staff when the Scot succeeded Ferguson in 2013, claims the problems inside Old Trafford were immediately apparent. Having grown accustomed to United's highly successful structure during his playing days, the former defender was stunned by what he encountered behind the scenes, with the manager seemingly stripped of authority over crucial footballing decisions.
More than 13 years on, Neville believes little has changed. He has pointed to a lack of leadership, questionable recruitment practices and a breakdown in the club's hierarchy as issues that have followed successive managers, regardless of their reputation or experience.
The former Everton star has now delivered a damning assessment of United's internal workings, insisting the problems that emerged during Moyes' short-lived spell have continued to undermine the club ever since.
"Sir Alex Ferguson left and I was part of the coaching staff with David Moyes. And what I witnessed going back, having been part of the club through the glory years, I witnessed a different type of club," he said on CBS Sports Golazo.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was seeing that the focus wasn't on the football pitch. I was seeing that the manager didn't have the final say," Neville added.
"I was seeing that the manager couldn't pick signings. The signings were based on how famous they were, how many followers they had and how much sponsorship they could make. I was shocked. I hated it. I really did.
"What I experienced in the 10 months with David Moyes is no different from what Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Ruben Amorim, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Michael Carrick are experiencing. The club needs sorting out from top to bottom."
United are still struggling to find stability, with manager Michael Carrick's position under increasing scrutiny and supporters growing increasingly restless.
The Red Devils have lifted the Premier League trophy on 13 occasions. However, that figure also represents the number of years since their most recent league triumph. There have been occasional moments of silverware since Ferguson brought his legendary reign to an end, but sustained success has proved elusive.
Neville believes the difference between United's former dominance and their subsequent struggles can be traced back to the people running the club.
On why United were so successful before Ferguson's exit, Neville said: "They had a manager in Sir Alex Ferguson and a CEO in David Gill who was disciplined. The manager was disciplined. They ran the club from top to bottom. Whatever they said, it happened.
"The year after, a new CEO and a new manager… It just became a circus and that manager lost control. You look at some other clubs and say, 'From top to bottom, there is alignment.' I don't think that happens at Manchester United."
Since Ferguson's departure, no permanent manager has managed to remain in the job for longer than three years. Carrick was appointed in May after impressing during an interim spell and guided United to third place last season. Yet the encouraging signs from that campaign have quickly evaporated.
The club have managed just one Premier League victory this season, suffered an early Carabao Cup exit and endured a humiliating 4-1 thrashing by Como in the Champions League. Sunday's 3-0 loss to Bournemouth appeared to leave Carrick on the brink of dismissal, although he has since been granted a temporary reprieve.
The situation at Old Trafford, howeverm remains deeply unsettled. Carrick is now fighting to save his job, captain Bruno Fernandes has become embroiled in a feud with the manager and supporters are once again calling for a change of ownership. For Neville, however, these are symptoms of a much deeper malaise that has been allowed to develop over more than a decade.
The former defender, who is the brother of Gary Neville, made 386 appearances for United between 1994 and 2005. He collected 14 major honours during his time at the club, including six league titles, before moving to Everton in 2005 to work under Moyes.
After hanging up his boots in 2013, Neville followed Moyes to Old Trafford when the Scot was appointed Ferguson's successor, joining his coaching staff. But their time together proved short-lived, with Moyes dismissed after just 10 months. Neville remained at United until the end of the season, working alongside interim player-manager Ryan Giggs.
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