What a difference a year makes in football!

On April 22, 2013, Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson had just wrapped up the club’s 20th league title with a commanding 3-0 home win over Aston Villa.

Nearly a year to the day, Manchester United sack their manager David Moyes after finding themselves in seventh place in the league and a massive 23 points off top spot.

Let’s be honest, I think everyone apart from Man Utd fans were sad and gutted that David Moyes lost his job.

It has nothing to do with sympathy for him, but simply because they loved seeing Manchester United struggling, and with Moyes in charge, it looked like it was going to carry on for a while.

What has happened to the club this season is pleasing to everyone outside of Old Trafford.

That’s football though. I’m not going to say it is not personal because as you know, between rival supporters it is very personal.

Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal fans will be delighted United have been so poor this season.

Manchester United have been English football’s most powerful force over the last two decades.

But the trouble with success is that it brings jealousy and hatred, and when you have been so successful over a long period of time, you are going to get more than your fair share.

At the moment, the Red Devils are down and people want to keep them down, put the boot in and hope they never get up. That’s just the way it is when you’ve been on top for so long.

The way it looks, Manchester United are on a big rebuilding journey and the road to recovery looks a long, tough one.

With their main rivals making giant steps forward and being able to bankroll fast-track success, United’s task to regain their place at the top seems near impossible right now.

They once went 26 years without a title between 1966-67 and 1992-1993. I don’t know about another 26 years, but I think it will be a long while before they will be kings again.

For them to be the object of ridicule for much of the season is something no-one is used to, most of all Manchester United, but performances have been terrible and sometimes embarrassing.

On this season’s showing and with big-name senior players set to depart – not forgetting the lack of Champions League football – it doesn’t look good for next year.

Manchester United used to have a ‘them against us’ mentality that brought them success and envy from everyone outside Old Trafford. It was a blueprint that everyone tried to model themselves on because of the success it brought.

Their players haven’t shown it this season and David Moyes didn’t seem to have it either.

Have we seen the end of an era, just like we did when Liverpool won their last league title in 1989-90?

I reckon most people are hoping so.

I don’t necessarily think that, but I do believe we have seen the end of Manchester United’s winning era.