The difference is - we have terrible scouts atm.
Is it really possible for it to be the only explanation. I mean, most of the guys have been on the job for decades, how could they be "terrible" ?
From the youth setup from the first team transfers could we really complain ? In details, Pogba, Rashford, Lingard (+Fosu-Mensah, Tuanzebe, Mc Tominay and the Perreiras) all come from the youth team, Martial, Shaw, De Gea, Jones and lastly Dalot were good under 20 recruits, Mata, Lukaku, Sanchez, Bailly, Fred and even Matic could have been picked by any top team at the moment we recruited them. When you look at it, Valencia, Young, Smalling, Grant and Fellaini were at least coherent domestic buys. The leftovers are Herrera, Romero, lindelof, Rojo and Darmian. The first two had their uses, which leave us only three potential oversea targeting errors, which is not a lot.
Football also is a matter of context, globally, it's obvious that the first eleven under, for instance, could play good football, at least for this season, if in the right setup or context. Also let's keep in mind that results wise this United team is still there, they actually achieve stuff.
De Gea
Valencia-Bailly-Jones-Shaw
Fred-Matic-Pogba
Sanchez-Lukaku-Martial
Bold : Underleveled/ Past their peak
The defence may be the biggest flaw, it's one a the most common position for top players, I mean, one of the easiest to find if it means something. I don't really understand the club's transfer policy atm but if we focus on the youth I'll go all in for De Ligt, if we're looking for an established player let it be Varane or Umtiti, 100M£ should do just fine.
In the summer I would focus on the other bolded postions, maybe Sidibe to put an easy rotation with Dalot as RB, Frenkie De Jong seems obvious as a DM to rotate with Matic, and at least Pullisic, Lozano or even try to put Malcom out of his Barcelona misery as a RW. It will be expensive but not unrealistic. No marquee signings but what's the point in such a flawed market.
Globally we can all agree on the fact that United need a clear long term vision as a sport team and as an organization. I want us to have a clear idea of the footabll we want to play and to build around it. It is the cleaverest path to reach our goals may they be sportive ones or economic.