In the circus of the most talked about club in England and quite possibly the world, a damning story emerges on an almost daily basis from inside or outside of Manchester United - I would write the longest article of the year if I tried to mention everything that has gone on in 2024.
From ex-players to a largely toxic media and the ever-growing influence of fan channels, everyone has something to say about one of Europe's biggest clubs. And when you factor in a difficult ownership situation, players with too much power and leaks of all descriptions, an unstable environment to try and coach develops.
January to June: FA Cup title keeps Ten Hag in job
2024 started with a false dawn as United found some form in the league and found a way to progress in the FA Cup after a difficult start to the campaign. It had people saying they could be in a battle for the top four and there was excitement around the emerging young trio of Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund.
On top of the positivity on the pitch, there was some off of it too. INEOS officially bought a minority stake in the club in February and were given full control of the football side of the business. It was a welcome development to the ownership situation for supporters after tensions reached boiling point with the deeply unpopular Glazer family.
However, INEOS would quickly discover the scale of the task ahead of them as United ended the league season diabolically, winning just three of their final 10 Premier League games. However, by hook or by crook they did make the FA Cup final after knocking Coventry City out on penalties at Wembley.
Whilst their run to the final was far from convincing, the way they turned up in the decider to stun their city rivals and Premier League champions, Manchester City, was nothing short of sensational. It was the dream end to a horror season and in hindsight, it should have been a happy end to Erik ten Hag's underwhelming reign.
June to November: Ten Hag fails to take second chance
Ten Hag would remain in a job after a lengthy review by INEOS ended in them extending the Dutchman's contract. The decision was mostly popular with supporters tired of managers becoming the scapegoat for underperforming and overpaid players. Whether Ten Hag deserved to keep his job or not, United had to look forward and strategise a successful summer window for him.
A double deal for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich for a combined €76m was smart business as both have proven useful signings so far - Mazraoui especially. Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee were the other players bought in and whilst Ugarte has begun to find his feet, Zirkzee is still adjusting to a new league and Yoro has only recently returned from an injury in pre-season.
It wasn't a terrible summer of business but it wasn't great either. With weakness at left-back and up-front, key positions were neglected as the club failed to offload some high earners.
As the new campaign began, the summer shortcomings coupled with Ten Hag's bizarre tactics saw the Red Devils make an awful start.
After beating City again in the Community Shield, things quickly unravelled in the league as they won just twice by October. And things didn't get any better from there before Ten Hag finally lost his job on October 29th.
November to January: Amorim comes in as new era begins
Ruud van Nistelrooy steadied the ship and remained unbeaten in his four games as interim manager before Ruben Amorim arrived during the November international break.
The young coach joined United after a highly impressive reign at Sporting which saw him break the dominance of Porto and Benfica by winning two Liga Portugal titles in just four seasons.
A new era had arrived at Old Trafford and Amorim quickly made an impression. In his first club interview, and a subsequent barrage of interviews with the media, the Portuguese head coach communicated a clear path forward and a desire to accept short-term pain in the pursuit of a clear identity.
For once (and for now) the supporters, media and ex-players were all impressed by Amorim's magnetic charisma and ability to talk a good game.
Unfortunately though for Amorim, slight improvements in performance haven't yet translated to better results as United remain 14th in the league having won two out of eight league games under the Portuguese.
Their 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United last night was their fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions as Amorim's side ended the year in relegation form.
And with Amorim confirming there is no money to be spent in January in his Newcastle post-match comments, it is hard to envisage things getting better anytime soon for a club in crisis.
It might have to get worse before it gets better.
Outside the pitch, United have been through one saga after another in recent weeks.
With tensions already running high after a rise in ticket prices, United then announced the mutual parting of ways with sporting director Dan Ashworth after just five months in the role.
The decision was met with shock and questions from supporters who wondered how INEOS could spend months working to bring Ashworth in from Newcastle (not cheaply) only to part ways with him after just five months in a job. Whichever way you look at it, much like the decision to stick with Ten Hag in the summer, the Ashworth situation brought about more questions than answers over INEOS's competency.
They have made so many mistakes.
As December progressed, the focus moved away from INEOS and onto Marcus Rashford after the United academy graduate was left out of the Manchester derby squad due to disciplinary reasons. What followed perfectly aligned with a club that has become synonymous with drama.
Rashford (or at least his PR team) was interviewed by respected football journalist Henry Winter in the aftermath of the derby saying he was ready for a new challenge.
The timing was disappointing but not surprising - the England international seems to have a team around him who only wants the best for the brand Rashford, not the player and certainly not his boyhood club. United responded with their own power play as Amorim continued to omit Rashford from the team and questioned the people around him.
"It's a hard situation. I understand that these types of players have a lot of people around them making some choices that maybe is not the first idea from the players."
The bottom line is: Rashford's Manchester United career appears to be in its final chapter and a January departure might be best for all parties.
What the Rashford situation has done is make it clear that Amorim will be ruthless in his pursuit of changing United for the better and for the first time in too long, no player is safe.
Get on board and perform under a new system with a new plan or get out - Amorim and INEOS don't have time for anything less.
2024 might have been one of the worst years in United's rich history but it ends with a tone of positivity; Amorim, with the help of INEOS, appears ready to do whatever is necessary to change the tide at Old Trafford and with that comes hope for the future.
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