A couple of weeks ago, I asked whether there is some sort of general consensus among Manchester United fans that the Glazer family is responsible for the club’s lack of success in recent years. It was a genuine question as I had heard a few people, in the wake United’s appalling start to the season, saying what else could be expected with the Glazers running the show.

And it would appear most Manchester United fans feel that way, judging by the responses to my question, combined with the protests we saw outside Old Trafford a couple of weeks ago. Despite that, I am still struggling to see it that way.

I absolutely agree that much of what the Glazers have done is wrong. For example, saddling United with debt while lining their own pockets is grossly unfair on the club and its supporters. However, I am not seeing the obvious, irrefutable connection between the Glazers’ ownership and the lack of success on the pitch.

The Glazer family have owned the club for 17 years. For the first few of those, Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge and the trophies continued to flow: Premier League titles, domestic cups and even a Champions League triumph. So while the United supporters weren’t happy having the Glazers in the boardroom, the fact that it was business as usual on the trophy production line probably kept any simmering disquiet under wraps.

But it is the period since Sir Alex hung up his hairdryer that comes under closest scrutiny when you talk about the Glazers and Manchester United. And most of that decade has not been pretty, with just a couple of domestic trophies, a Europa League win and two second-place finishes to show for their efforts.

But are the unwanted owners really to blame for this barren patch? Is this lack of success down to them and them alone?

Let’s be honest, they have not exactly appointed cheap or unknown managers to save some money – David Moyes was essentially appointed by Sir Alex rather than the board; Louis van Gaal arrived as a man with a track record of success, and José Mourinho is a serial winner and trophy collector.

In the latter two you have a pair of managers who have won more than 50 major trophies between them, ranging from English, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, German and Italian league titles to several Champions Leagues. And both of those managers will have cost many, many millions to appoint, maintain and eventually get rid of. So it’s not as if the Glazers have been trying to get their managers on the cheap.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may have been a slight change in direction, but the appointment of the popular Norwegian was more about what the fans wanted rather than the Glazers looking for a low-budget option. And now they have Erik ten Hag, one of the most sought-after young managers on the continent who will have cost a pretty penny to pry away from Ajax.

So, from a managerial point of view, I think it is fair to say the Glazers have tried their best and haven’t cut corners.

Now what about on the player front?

Here again, I don’t think anyone can accuse them of not backing those same managers in the transfer market. In fact, since Ferguson walked away from the world of daily management, the list players that have come into Old Trafford is quite phenomenal.

Marouane Fellaini, Luke Shaw, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo, Ángel Di Maria, Anthony Martial, Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matić, Victor Lindelöf, Alexis Sanchez, Fred, Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Donny van de Beek, to name but the biggest ones.

You should be able to make a pretty handy team out of that little lot.

This summer they have splashed out another massive wad of cash on Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martínez, Casemiro and Antony – high-profile additions that would have a big impact on most teams in most leagues. On top of that, the club has continued to bring through young homegrown talent over that time too, with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay becoming first-team regulars and Mason Greenwood destined to be a star until he threw his career away.

My point with all this is that I don’t think you can accuse the Glazers of locking the cheque book away when it comes to managers and players. And those two elements – in theory at least – should be the cornerstones of any club’s success.

I don’t think you can accuse the Glazers of locking the cheque book away when it comes to managers and players

Has it worked out? Well, absolutely not. Just a handful of lesser trophies in the last decade is clear and obvious evidence of that. But I am not convinced you can pin the blame for that on the back of the Glazers.

When it comes to things like investment in the training grounds or Old Trafford itself, then yes, go ahead and point a very accusing finger in the direction of the Glazers, who would rather fill their pockets than Carrington’s potholes.

But, let’s be frank, Pogba is a world-class player who should be able to perform to impeccable standards whether he is on the grass at a sparkling London Stadium, a rundown Old Trafford or a pitch in a public park. And the same goes for all the other players on that long list of talent.

As I said before, the financial mechanism they used to buy the club in the first place was downright underhand and nasty. On that basis, there is a lot to dislike about the Glazers. Plus, they come across as both a bit sleazy and generally uninterested in football, which doesn’t sit comfortably with fans.

But are they really to blame for the lack of success? I honestly don’t think so.

In fact, in order to keep their gravy train in full flow, they need the team to be winning things. So in that sense, they are as probably as desperate for trophies as the fans…

E-mail: James@quizando.com

Twitter: @Maltablade