David Moyes didn’t enjoy the best of starts to his Manchester United career. Whilst we all knew that replacing Sir Alex Ferguson would be a difficult (almost impossible) job, nobody expected David Moyes to fumble the ball quite so spectacularly.
At the start of his United career, he had to navigate the murky waters of the summer transfer window. Seeing that he only came out on the other side of it with Marouane Fellaini, a player he knew well from his time at Goodison Park, I’d say he failed. Not only did the big Belgian cost a fortune, he also was something of a ‘luxury signing’ for United. In other words, he wasn’t a player that United needed.
Then the season begun and things didn’t get any better. Manchester United struggled against teams big and small. They were turning in disappointing performances and not getting the results expected of them. Defeats against West Brom and Liverpool particularly stand out.
Luckily, David Moyes has been able to quietly and effectively turn things around. The Red Devils have started to put a series of good results together, culminating in a 1-0 victory over title rivals, Arsenal. It was a victory that could well propel Manchester United right back into the title race.
But this doesn’t change the fact that David Moyes should have signed a creative midfielder last summer. Throughout the window, United were linked to the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara and yes, Ander Herrera.
As it happens, it looks like David Moyes dodged a bullet when it comes to that last name. Whilst both Fabregas and Alcantara would have significantly improved this United side, the same doesn’t seem to be true of Herrera.
Despite managing to earn himself a £36m price-tag last year, Herrera has played just one full 90 minute game this season. It’s not that he’s suffering from big injury problems, it’s just that Atletico Madrid coach, Ernesto Valverde doesn’t seem to trust him.
In fact, he’s made just 8 La Liga starts and has been substituted before the 70th minute in five of those games.
We should also consider this: he’s 24-years-old. He doesn’t have years of development ahead of him. Whilst he looked pretty handy last season, statistically, he was nothing special. It’s hard to argue that he would have done much for Manchester United.
So whilst Moyes didn’t bring in the player the club needed, he did save them £36m. Now let’s just hope he can keep up the momentum at Old Trafford.
What’s your take? Would Ander Herrera have been a smart addition for Manchester United?
Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.
ATHLETIC BILBAO!
I think sorting rooney out and getting him back to the player we all love like having a new signing