Some 'influential figures' at Manchester United allegedly feel that Sir Alex Ferguson is to blame for the Red Devils' dramatic fall from grace since his retirement.
Ferguson was in attendance to witness his former club pull off a terrific comeback from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, as Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte cancelled out Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure's efforts.
However, in spite of the praiseworthy nature of Man United's comeback, Ruben Amorim's men still put in a largely pitiful display for the most part, leading the Portuguese to profess that his side "did not exist" in the first half.
Entrenched in the bottom half of the Premier League table, 15th-placed Man United are 14 points adrift of the top four, nine points off the top half and 13 points clear of the relegation zone following a forgettable campaign of mediocrity.
The Red Devils have not conquered England since Ferguson's final year at the helm in 2012-13 - only achieving two second-placed and two third-placed finishes since - and according to The Mirror, unnamed figures have pointed the finger at the legendary coach.
Why is Ferguson being blamed for Man United decline?
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The report alleges that some 'influential shakers' have blamed the 83-year-old for not doing more to 'embrace' changes to coaching and scouting systems, and Sir Dave Brailsford in particular is 'sick' of hearing about Man United's successes under Ferguson.
INEOS chiefs have apparently become 'obsessed' with not talking about the club's golden era, with a source telling the publication: "INEOS want absolutely nothing to do with the past.
"They don't want to hear how things were done when United were winning 13 Premier League titles and they won't accept any suggestion that lessons can be learned from when the club's greatest-ever manager was in charge.
"It's all very well drawing a line under the last 12 years and saying 'let's move on.' But it's become an obsession not to mention the period when United were one of the best teams in Europe."
The Red Devils' most successful manager of all time held an ambassadorial position at the club when Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed his minority purchase - a role that apparently saw him pocket £2.5m a year - but INEOS took the decision to end that agreement in October.
Ferguson won a staggering 38 major trophies during his 27-year spell at Man United from 1986 to 2013, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns.
Man United's dire financial situation laid bare
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Cancelling Ferguson's lucrative ambassadorial contract is just one cost-cutting measure that INEOS have implemented since arriving at the Theatre of Dreams, and others have come at the detriment of hundreds of employees.
Over the summer, 250 staff members were made redundant by the new regime, who are now said to be planning to axe another 200 jobs, which will be announced to employees during a team meeting on Monday.
Man United have recorded heavy losses of £373m over the last five years, putting them at serious risk of breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules without drastic action.
Amid the club's turmoil both on and off the field, co-owner Avram Glazer was recently asked whether he would consider selling Man United, having opened the door to such a possibility in 2022.
Ben Knapton
