N.B. A version of this piece was originally published on 13 April, 2014
1. Selling Paul Pogba: The French midfielder has gone on to establish himself as one of the world’s best young talents after leaving Old Trafford owing to frustration stemming from a lack of first-team football.
2. Selling Gerard Pique: The defender was less injury prone, younger and similarly adept to both Ferdinand and Vidic. He has since gone on to become a star at Barcelona.
3. Young players either failing or being slow to fulfil their potential: Nani, Anderson, Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young all come under this category.
4. Questionable tactics: Moyes has at times been guilty of adopting unambitious formations and playing an all-too-predictable attacking style based primarily on getting crosses into the box.
5. Overlooking Jose Mourinho: The Portuguese coach wanted the United job by most accounts, and it’s difficult to conceive of him doing a worse job than Moyes in the short term at least.
6. Not signing enough players in the summer: Even though they were the league champions, United’s squad has been in need of rebuilding for a while now. Their failure to lay such foundations in place last summer has been at the root of some of their current problems.
7. Failure to develop young players of their own: United were a club once famed for nurturing young talent such as the famous Class of 92. However, very few players — Danny Welbeck is arguably the only exception — have made a successful transition from their youth team in recent years.
8. Naive decision-making: Playing the likes of Carrick and Fellaini, who lack mobility at the best of times, against the energetic players such as Fernandinho and Jordan Henderson was one primary example of an experiment destined for failure.
9. Relying too much on elderly stars: Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Ryan Giggs have all looked their age at times this season.
10. Failing to finish games strongly: Late goals used to be a hallmark of United when Ferguson was in charge, but they have been relatively scarce since Moyes joined the club.
11. Succumbing to in-fighting: There have been persistent rumours of several high-profile players being unhappy, which can only have a damaging effect on the team’s overall morale.
12. Failing to turn up on the big occasions: United’s record against the bigger sides this season has been invariably poor, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City all defeating them comfortably at various points.
13. Losing the fear factor: Under Ferguson, facing Manchester United was normally a daunting prospect for opposition teams. Under Moyes, opponents now show far more self-belief in such circumstances.
(Nemanja Vidic, pictured above, is set to leave United for Inter this summer)
14. Letting Vidic’s departure become public knowledge: The Serbian defender has continued to be a key player for United since the news of his imminent exit, but the fact the public are aware of this news only increases the pressure on all concerned.
15. Failing to put up a convincing front: Rather than conveying the necessary defiance in the face of adversity, David Moyes has all too often looked and sounded like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders — hardly suitable for a manager whose primary role is to inspire those around him.
16. Leaving transfers until the last minute: This is one of the main reasons that they failed to sign Ander Herrera and arguably also why they paid over the odds for Marouane Fellaini.
17. Failing to embrace playing at Old Trafford: It’s been well documented how United’s away form is superior to any side in the league. Their home record, however, is atrocious.
18. Allowing Ferguson to hang around: The former manager’s constant presence at Old Trafford undermines Moyes and adds to the pressure he is under. His autobiography, which heavily criticised Wayne Rooney, was similarly unhelpful.
19. Playing players out of position: Another big issue for United is that some of their best players tend to favour similar positions. Consequently, Phil Jones, Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa, Chris Smalling and Juan Mata have all at various points been played out of position in recent times.
20. Moyes’ faux pas: The United manager has come out with the odd clanger in press conferences, such as his contention that “any average person” would struggle in his job, while also consistently expressing bafflement following one of his side’s many bad losses.
21. Replacing the backroom staff: The men who worked under Ferguson had some invaluable insights to provide and knew the players well. Moyes made his job more difficult by replacing them with his Everton colleagues.
22. Continually failing to properly replace Scholes and Keane: The duo may have had some success since these two individuals were in their prime, however it was largely due to the performances of players in other areas of the field. United have simply never had players of the calibre of Scholes and Keane in the aftermath of the duo’s glory days.
23. Worrying too much about the supporters: Against Newcastle, Moyes admitted that he didn’t want to take Van Persie off when they were losing, despite originally planning to do so, for fear of how the supporters might react badly. Perhaps not entirely uncoincidentally, the Dutchman has struggled with injuries since then.
24. Questionable training methods: United players have spoken of shock at the intensity of the training they were forced to endure at the start of the season. While this may have had a positive effect on their early results, their performances sharply declined thereafter, which is hardly a glowing endorsement of these regimes.
25. Failing to recognise their best team: United have made more changes to their side on average than any other team in the Premier League. An optimist might suggest Moyes is proficient at embracing squad rotation, however in reality, it reflects an ostensible inability to determine his best team.
26. Backing Moyes so wholeheartedly: While United’s patient philosophy is laudable in theory, it ignores the reality of modern-day football, in which quick success is integral. By handing Moyes a six-year contract, the Red Devils were surely tempting fate. His premature departure is looking increasingly inevitable, and this scenario would make all the previous talk about rigorously supporting the manager seem somewhat hollow, while leaving Alex Ferguson and the rest of the board looking rather foolish.
Don’t think ye missed anything there
He may of had he’s fair share of injuries, but Rossi would of been handy to hold on to along with Pogba and Pique
No its all wrong. Mistake number 1… Employing Moyes, 2…..Listening to Fergie to Employ Moyes. 3.Giving Moyes a six year contract….4 Not looking at Moyes pitiful record………….25…Employing Moyes. etc…
Fully agree, Moyes is the stand out issue , sure utd need to freshen squad but Moyes is not up to it .he’d have been sacked if not for fergies massive ego .
1 to 26: Moyes.
Why is pique in that list???? He cant defend . 1 and only reason they are were they are. David demoyes.
Selling pogba was done cause he was a destructive influence on the youth team ya he’s a good player but he has had 2 seasons playing in a league that is a hell of a lot slower than what he trained at in the United youth set up , secondly selling pique was not a decision in Uniteds hands as barca had a buy back clause that they triggered
At the time it didn’t look like a bad decision, but looking back now we sold someone who is well on his way to potentially becoming one of the best midfielders in the world, hes the type of midfielder we desperately need even if he is a bit overhyped. And Serie A may be slower than the BPL but i doubt its slower than the training in United’s youth set up to be fair
Why is fergie sitting in the stand a problem, if he was playing at left-full, then maybe…. What more motivation and inspiration is needed. He’s earned the right to sit in the stand. That point let the whole article down
Because it makes it look like he is still in charge obviously
Really? Kinda looks like he’s sitting in the stand to me.
Some of these points are stupid, first of all, every premier league team falls under the points of buying players that don’t fill their potential and not producing their own talent, also David moyes was never ever going to go in and not appoint his own back room staff, people have this notion that the last back room staff worked wonders but that is unproven. And the point about the training intensity is stupid, are we honestly going to believe that the intensity in training is way too hard and that moyes doesn’t know how to run a training session…. Football players have their arses wiped every day, the one time they are made to work hard they complain, as usual. And another point, many of the points mentioned above have been a result of ferguson, he left moyes scraps. compare that to martinez, who was able to move into a team with a great foundation. Moyes has had to shoulder alot of things that ferguson should be blamed for
Not selling Rooney !
Time to bring back Ron Atkinson!
Don’t mind big Ron, bring back tommy docherty
Moyes has been a disastrous appointment. It highlights Fergies poor judgement in his latter years. This is especially evident in his transfer dealings. Young, Kagawa, Smalling, Jones, Buttner, Bebe to name but a few. These guys didn’t come cheap either. Other buys like Anderson & Nani ultimately failed. Indeed he gave Nani a new contract just before he left. Its a testament to Fergie that he got this lot to win a league but that was due in part to the opposition that year being poor. For all Moyes failings, of which there are many, the squad he was left with was poor in comparison to other top 4 teams & Fergie has to shoulder the blame for this.
Don’t agree that Kagawa and Smalling were poor signings – Kagawa is one of our best players but Moyes now has the predicament of choosing between him and Juan Mata. Mata is a great player but something’s got to give. Agree with the point made that Moyes has made some panic buys and in hindsight maybe the move for Mata wasn’t thought out well enough. If you’re going to buy Mata and Kagawa, two attacking midfielders and then play Rooney, an out and out striker, in their role, you have to question your credentials as manager
KMJOB, you were going well till ya said kagawa and buttner………….
Burner was one of our best players against Bayern, totally agree with you
And jones, iffy about Chris Smalling. Nani I would keep, he may not be the best winger in the world but he does give that extra when playing.
Bebe is playing brilliantly in Portugal at the moment. Surprising but true.
For me its simply down to a United having a bad squad and an average manager at this present moment.
These two problems cannot be fixed overnight. I predict a long rough season next year for United if swift action isnt taken.
They may very well stick with Moyes but they need to buy quality players asap.
The team needs to be overhauled,
Utd fans are gonna have to learn to be patient,
But after 25 years of constant success,they’er is a generation of utd fans that know nothing but success.
I can see two or three seasons before they can compete for the top positions again
Better off without Jose…he will come spend all your money maybe win a trophy or two and leave the following year.
Most of y’all Blaming Moyes..haha..i expected it,he should shoulder some of the blame obviously but not everything,how many top clubs promote their youths anymore??,they all by ready made players,La Masia,bayern,madrid anyone??..the players should be blamed too and mostly the Glazers,lets see how next season would be
The worst thing about the pogba situation is that United didn’t get any money from it. He left when his contract ran out
When is part two of this article being posted ?
Give moyes a 50 year unbreakable contract !!!!
Colm and Leo , you two should be writing these articles as your the only two that talk sense here. In saying that I think most off these Utd articles are set up purposely to cause conflict
I do 2.
Still better than having a head like a horse
Elderly stars, love it!
He looks so much older since joining utd
Pogba and Morrison had to go. Pique is over rated but they were never going to be able to gang on to him.
Haha do I?? I must look into that!!
Normally I would leave a 5 page essay comment expressing my expert opinion but I’m so fycked up with #MoyesOut I’ve confused myself and I don’t no what to think