What happened to the team? Why did they become irrelevant?
They are not irrelevant now Jeremiah, but I do take your point. They were shite when Ferguson left, but it all began when Ferguson fell out with Roy Keane. It was Keane who made that dynasty. Ferguson was smart enough to pay the then record British price for a player and bring him from Notts Forest to Old Trafford. I saw a quote once from some Brit sportswriter who talked about the team, especially of the brain of the Frenchman Cantona, the legs of Ryan Giggs, and the crosses of Beckham, and finished by saying, "...but, the steel heart of Manchester United beats in the chest of a Corkman." The American goalkeeper, Tim Howard, who played for Man U for several years, says he was the greatest leader he had seen in ANY sport.
Roy Keane's former Manchester United teammate Tim Howard has described the Irishman as the "greatest leader I've ever seen in sports."
punditarena.com
The greatest period of Man U's history is the time when Roy Keane was the captain. When he left, Ferguson was still a major force, and Michael Carrick was a great captain as well. But when Fergie left, and the manager revolving door started, that Man United was gone.
Now we have this Dutchie man ager. Getting much more strong at all positions. When Keane left, it was still a good team (won another Champions League). When Ferguson left, it was a goat f*** until this year.