Manchester United have just experienced their worst run for as long as anybody can remember. But the last 10 months of David Moyes’ managerial career probably felt like 10 years in his life and is an era of his career that I’m sure he’d like to forget; an anomaly on his CV, a ripped page in his book of life, a living nightmare. Since his appointment, there was NOTHING that did not go wrong for him and equally NOTHING that he could have done to prevent this season from unravelling before his eyes.
But let’s face it, we all know Moyes was not the only cook to spoil the broth, and now that he is gone, the underlying scapegoat which has been removed has made room for much debate about how much of a hand Moyes had in United’s poorest season in recent history. What else contributed to their downfall?
It is clear to say Moyes was well out of his depth, but did his sacking come as any surprise? I’d like to think so… The United faithful seemed to stand behind Moyes, until they weren’t. What United fans illustrated to the footballing world was loyalty in ways you wouldn’t expect for a man that proved absolutely nothing in the time he spent at Old Trafford. But who benefits and who loses?
The fans. Whilst to the rest of the footballing world stood loyal fans who upheld ‘The Chosen One’ banners, insiders to Old Trafford would suggest patience ran out long before we actually knew. The ‘Wrong One’ Plane that flew over Old Trafford in protest of Moyes’ performances, the boos, the jeers, the loses, the rebellious attitude of the players – from the moment he stepped into Old Trafford, Moyes very quickly became the supply teacher who came in on Fridays with the monotone voice who no one listened to. Maybe he forgot about the fortress that was Old Trafford? Maybe he failed to realise that such a fortress required ruling with an iron fist? Maybe poor David thought the fans would be able to withhold more of the same and stick by him the same way they did Ferguson in his earlier seasons of management?
Little did he know it was because of this, because of what legacy Ferguson had created and left at Old Trafford, the fans had never had to, not in 26 years of management, be patient. But Moyes not only taught the fans to be patient, he tested and tortured their patience to the point of implosion. Bet you won’t find David Moyes anywhere Old Trafford in the next few years. Even if his new team (if he’s lucky to find a Premier League team to manage) visits Old Trafford. What a reception that would be.
Then there’s Ferguson. Ouch, there is a drop in credibility. The Glazers won’t be asking him for another recommendation. Or will they? What may seem as a crack in his legacy may not be what it seems. He retired leaving an impossible job, so why pick a top coach and lead the team to inevitable doom? You wouldn’t pick a king to enter the snake pit, why not pick a poor man or a hungry boy? Enter coach David Moyes. Now, I’m not saying this was a elaborate master plan between Ferguson and the Glazers to mask the inevitable transitional period, it is simply food for thought. It is not to say that in one or two season’s time, everyone at Old Trafford wouldn’t turn around and say, ‘well, that all worked out just fine’. Everyone apart from Moyes, that is.
So Moyes. A man out of his depth, accepting the job at Old Trafford with open arms is the obvious loser in all of this. Its safe to say he won’t be receiving any offers from a top team any time soon, which in a way masks his honest achievements at Everton. Now that he has been sacked, there is room for open debate with regard to this man’s sheer powerlessness in recent matters. The Grim Reaper that appeared to taunt him during his last game in charge at Everton may well have been the real reaper of death. Little did Moyes know he would pull his last straw with a dismal performance against his old club Everton. At this point, there was NOTHING that hadn’t gone wrong for Moyes at United; not only losing to, but finishing below your old team is far from acceptable to any team of recognition in football.
Now, United are faced with finding a new manager. Ryan Giggs, who has now accomplished everything, from being a 17 year old new signee to United boss, has the pleasure of experiencing sitting on the throne until the end of the season with no real pressure involved within the final games. But even now, Giggs looks more of the part than Moyes could ever be, winning everything single accolade possible for a player compared to Moyes’ trophy-less managerial career, which again begs to question why he was considered in the first place. Giggs will demand the sort of respect Moyes dreamt of but could never achieve, especially with the help of the Nevilles and Nicky Butt and Scholes coming out of retirement to help coach their old friend.
An honest and grounded manager at Everton, such characteristics proved costly to his United tenure as boss. Somehow he believed this would save him when it came to post-match interviews, press conferences and touchline camera views, but this was simply an open invitation for extrovert and aggressive criticism from fans, players, and the media. Truth is, the team that won the league last season wasn’t the same team that played for Moyes. And the difference? Team spirit, discipline and goals. Van Persie’s goals made the results last season as Ferguson worked his magic to mask the deeper problems in Old Trafford. The lack of such this season, coupled with the improvement of other teams and the proliferation of some players have brought these problems to light.
You could not trust the same man who paid £28 million for Fellaini to bring in the right players in the summer. So was the sacking of Moyes part of a bigger picture or was this a pragmatic move from United bosses who were looking to the future in a season that Manchester United would be eager to put behind them?
And the bosses. Oh, the Glazers were just as informed as everybody else was. They also anticipated the decline of United, and again like everybody else viewed this a temporary glitch. BUT what they couldn’t put up with was the view that Moyes was simply too weak to withstand the transition and in showing the same modesty and integrity which worked for him at Everton, made the situation worse. Managers these days are sacked ruthlessly due to the common belief that a team is only as good as their manager, and in demonstrating weakness, the legacy and reputation of United had continuously been tested and somewhat affected through Moyes’ tenure as manager.
It was clear to say that in the midst of Moyes’ ‘just happy to be here’ approach, United’s problems unraveled right before his eyes. He spent 65 million with no effect and had the Manchester faithful believing he would never be up to the mark given the opportunity; he could simply not maintain control of any aspect of managing a team like United. But there will be sympathy for the man. The last match of his Manchester managerial career at Goodison Park against his former team will forever haunt him in years to come.
And for the club? United have lost something no other team to could boast of – a manger for 26 years filled with victory, only for that legacy to be tarnished by picking the wrong replacement. Nevertheless, a 26 year tenure of continued glory would be an ask too big even if Moyes managed to mount a serious challenge with what he had in the last 10 months. It’s a distressing realisation that United are not as untouchable as they thought there were.
And what next? Well there is the talk of the next manager and players needed to rebuild the squad in preparation of next season, which in some way is a consolation considering the sort of options that Manchester United have; I mean, they still are United.
Dortmund’s Kloop, Holland’s Van Gaal, Carlo Ancelotti, Deigo Simeone and even Pep Guardiola… This are the sort of quality United will be aiming for this time. All could bring a tactical intelligence, fear and the right players to Old Trafford. Whoever it is, be sure that the candidate will have domestic league trophies and champions league glory on his CV. Lessons learnt.
Looking to the future, who would be best suited this time around?
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