07 January 2024 , 23:08
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Manchester United continue to struggle under the ownership of the Glazer family, but elsewhere their NFL team Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to enjoy success.
The Glazers own both United and the Buccaneers, although they recently sold 25 percent of their ownership stake to businessman Jim Ratcliffe. The Glazers have handed off the football responsibilities at United to their new partner, but even after the £1 billion deal they remain in control of the club.
United have not won the Premier League title since 2013, and in the last seven years they only have a Carabao Cup to show for their efforts. They are having another underwhelming season as they sit eighth in the league and out of Europe, but the Glazers are still enjoying success with the Buccaneers who made history with their third-straight NFC South Division title on Sunday.
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The Buccaneers will enter the NFL playoffs and look to repeat their Super Bowl success of 2020, but back in Manchester things continue to look bleak. A 9-0 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday handed the Buccaneers a playoff spot and the NFC South title, meaning they'll have home advantage for the first postseason game next week.
It's the ninth time they've won their division, and the 14th time in franchise history they've reached the playoffs. In 2021 and 2022, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won consecutive division titles for the first time in franchise history, and now they've made it three in a row as they've become a dominant force in their division for the first time in over a decade.
Before winning the NFC South in 2021, the last time that the Buccaneers won their division was in 2007. The Glazers bought the Buccaneers in 1995, a team that hadn't reached the playoffs since 1982 and hadn't won a postseason game since 1979. Their arrival led to some initial success as they became playoff regulars from 1997 and won their first Super Bowl title in 2002.
The Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in 2020 for the second time (Getty Images) The Buccaneers then dropped off and the Glazers purchased United for £790m in 2005, enjoying many successes with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Everything changed at Old Trafford when Ferguson retired after the 2012/13 season, the last year United won the Premier League title.
Since then United has been through a major transition, hiring managers David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and now Erik ten Hag, but none of them are yet to bring the Red Devils back to their former glory. Many former United players have spoken out against the Glazer ownership, but their minority sale shows they have no intentions of letting the club go.
Jim Ratcliffe will now attempt to work his magic on United as the Glazer's have failed alone (Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images) After signing legendary quarterback Tom Brady in 2020, the Buccaneers won their second Super Bowl in his debut season and are yet to miss out on the playoffs since their historic moment. Bucs fans went through years of misery between 2008-2020, and it's a feeling that United fans are experiencing themselves.
The Glazers have struggled to maintain United's success, spending £1.19bn on transfers over the last decade and they are still left with a squad that's not strong enough to compete for the biggest trophies. Fans will hope that Ratcliffe and his team can improve how United is run, but just like the Buccaneers did they may face a long wait.