We really don’t want to heap pressure on an already besieged manager. David Moyes is clearly a top guy who handles himself with great dignity and takes the brunt of the responsibility for Manchester United’s failings. But, perhaps when Fergie said that any trophy would be ‘an incredible achievement’ for David Moyes in his first season, the new manager took it too literally.
Because, make no mistakes, if Manchester United end the season with just the Capital One Cup to show for it, the campaign will be deemed an outright failure. But despite the injury list and having no form or momentum to speak of, going into the game against Swansea at the weekend, Moyes decided to rest 4 key players in Evra, De Gea, Vidic and Carrick. Moyes said, post Swansea:
“We have another big game in 48 hours’ time (against Sunderland in the League Cup semi-finals) so we had to keep that in mind but there are no excuses.
Big game? You’re off your chops aren’t you Moyesey?
Surely the man who’s earning millions at the helm of Manchester United should know that the FA Cup is immeasurably bigger than The Capital One Cup – labelled by some as ‘The Losers’ Cup’? Sure, The FA Cup may have lost some of its cache in recent times, as Champions League qualification has become the priority of the elite clubs. But if Moyes brought home the FA Cup, fans would be happy for him to be given more time to build. A Capital Cup trophy? Whatever it’s called? No thanks mate.
On this form Manchester United won’t even win that as, in all likelihood, they would have to face the on-fire Manchester City in the final in March – if they beat a plucky Sunderland. At least if Manchester United stumbled through to the latter stages of the FA Cup they would have time to find their form before a Wembley appearance.
We hope for Moyes’ sake that we’re wrong and you guys can throw this opinion back in our faces if Moyes takes Manchester United back to the summit of the game. But, we already think that the writing is on the wall for the Scotsman. Four home defeats in a month is relegation form. It’s simply not good enough for Manchester United. And Moyes doesn’t appear to have any idea of how to change things – save for waiting for the return of a few players. Fergie suffered worse injury problems than this. But never did the results or performances dip this low. Or anywhere near. Moyes is achieving all sorts of unwanted records for Manchester United right now.
And you just know that Fergie would have got that group of players through to the next round of the cup on Sunday. They may have struggled. They may even have had a replay. But he would have negotiated the obstacles and got them through.
The ‘problem’ is that players will come back from injury and the results will improve. But, in our opinion, that would only mask the patent weaknesses in Moyes’ management style. The biggest problem is not the results but the performances. There is no cohesion to the team. No intensity. No shape. No fight. Moyes’ tactics don’t work for Manchester United and the players’ heads are starting to go down. While, down the road, City players stroke the ball to each other without even looking, Manchester United are uglier to watch than at any time in our (albeit somewhat debauched) memories.
So should Moyes be granted access to the Manchester United transfer kitty after the exorbitant price paid for Marouane Fellaini? The Everton board must be feeling the turtle’s head with laughter every time the Belgian is mentioned. £27.5m and we aren’t even sure that football is his best sport.
So at what point does the board say ‘enough is enough?’ Showing blind, long-term faith in this manager is an incredibly dangerous tactic when the stats speak so loudly against Moyes. It’s a results business and he has lost 5 home games at the half way point of the season. It’s unheard of. Even Big Ron was a better manager. Sun lounger and all!
Long term loyalty to Moyes would be extremely dangerous for the whole future of the club right now in an era where super clubs are appearing with bottomless pits of cash. Three more bad big money signings and the club could be up a very smelly creak without a paddle or a pot to piddle in. Manchester United need an inspirational leader again. Someone with a strong football vision.
Anyone for Red Nev with Fergie as a background mentor in the short-term?
Follow us on Twitter @soccersweep10
Ayodi
Jan 6, 2014 at 7:02 pm
I aggree