When one thinks about how Manchester United have fared over the last 10 years, the first instinct is to divide the decade in two parts: the club under Sir Alex Ferguson, and after Ferguson’s retirement. How one man was able to affect the fortunes of a club and a domestic league could be dismissed as an exaggeration, but there is no way to exaggerate the impact Ferguson had on United, and the Premier League has a whole.

The 2009/10 season saw United once again challenge for a Premier League title, only to falter to Chelsea on the final day. The Red Devils would bounce back to regain the championship in 2011, also advancing to the Champions League Final. After the heartbreak of the 2011/12 finale, when crosstown rival Manchester City won the EPL with literally the last kick of the season, United added Robin van Persie to their roster. The Dutchman quickly made an impact in his first season at Old Trafford, leading the Premier League in goals as United sent Fergie into retirement with another league title.

David Moyes had the unenviable task of succeeding Ferguson, and he did win the Community Shield in his first match of consequence with the club. However, despite United reaching the Champions League quarterfinals, their poor form in the league meant Moyes was sacked prior to the end of the 2013/14 season, with Ryan Giggs serving as interim player-manager in the final games. Louis van Gaal took over in the summer of 2014, and he did lead United back into the Champions League and to their first FA Cup triumph in 12 years, but he too was let go after two seasons at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho arrived in the summer of 2016, as did big-name players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba. United started the Premier League season well, but it soon became clear that Mourinho was banking on the club winning the Europa League, which they would do by defeating Ajax in the Final. United would then finish runners-up in the EPL in 2017/18 – their highest finish in the post-Sir Alex era – their season marked by a famous 3-2 win at Manchester City. But struggles early in the 2018/19 campaign meant Mourinho was out by December, and in came Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

With the former striker as caretaker manager, the players seemed to be relaxed and comfortable, going on an impressive win streak and upsetting Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. Once Solskjaer was given the job full-time, however, the performances dipped, with a final day home loss to Cardiff summing up the struggles of the last few months of that season. For the first half of 2019/20, there appear to be two different Uniteds for the most part; the team that shows up for big matches against old rivals, and the side that loses to lesser-known clubs. December alone has been a great example; United began the month with wins over Tottenham and Manchester City in a four-day span. They would later settle for a home draw with Aston Villa, while losing at then-last place Watford.

Manchester United closed 2019 with consecutive wins over Newcastle United and Burnley, and will start 2020 on the road at Arsenal. All signs appear to show that management will observe how the transfer window goes, then allow Solskjaer to finish out the season before making a decision moving forward. Will United have another roller-coaster decade in the 2020s? Fans will certainly hope for a return to consistency, and a return to the world’s elite.