Let's talk about David Moyes

Forgive my ignorance but I haven't been following the Premier League much this season. Dip in dip out bullshit. But as everyone knows; I have an extensive knowledge of football. But there's something I don't understand and I'd like someone to explain it to me.

David Moyes in his eleven years (extensive knowledge of football) at Everton was considered a good manager. I don't want to start saying things like he was a good motivator or a great tactician, I want to keep this as simple as possible:at Everton he was a good manager. I think we can all agree on that.

So what has he been/is he doing at Man Utd that is hobbling the team? How can the influence of one man be the root cause of all green rectangle based problems? Some detailed insight into that, and also maybe some kind of understanding on what made him a good manager at Everton would be greatly appreciated.

This could be about to evolve into a who will replace Moyes thread, rumours abound he's to be sacked. Can't be arsed to go for a long post about his failings, here's my thoughts;

- Poor transfer business, 27m for Fellaini, never a Man Utd quality player and not what they needed, £37m for Mata who again wasn't what the team needed
- Tactical transition, he's never really played with AMCs, especially in the Mata mould. Hard transition to make for him, and obviously the mentality step up from being Everton manager
- Dressingroom discontent, Rooney contract, rumours about RvP, etc
- Ageing squad, Fergie got out at the right time
- Poor squad, Man Utd only have a handful of players who could get into other European elite teams

I don't believe fully in it being the weight of expectation in replacing Fergie, some have said that any manager would have struggled, I don't believe that. Pep or Mourinho would have had Man Utd in the title hunt this season, and its not too ludicrous to suggest Man Utd could have appointed one of them.

The fact of the matter is Moyes wouldn't have got a look in at Chelsea, Arsenal or Man City, yet he got the Utd job. He was never good enough, so its senseless to expect him to takeover a title winning side in need of a rehaul and challenge for the title. He's had no experience of challenging for honours but he's walking into a club that demands that from the off. Its like signing a mid-table striker who gets 15 a season and asking him to go out and get 40 goals a season in a title winning side.

Out of his depth at probably the most unique club in England. Manager before him was pretty darn good so living up to that was always going to be difficult.

Personally I don't think his defence bar Rafael is very good at all. Going forward Man U are brilliant but Moyes prefers caution to attack.

Underdog mentality

Mate, Bar Rafaeli is a supermodel, not a footballer...

Getting rid of the entire backroom staff was a fucking idiotic move too

Hindsight and all, but Fergie shouldn't have ever been allowed to pick his successor, no matter what he was at the club.

Looking at Moyes and his 'Scottishness' and neglecting any potential flaws with his tactical game was a huge mistake, especially when it meant that Mourinho would then go to Chelsea.

United seriously dropped the ball big time when they let Mou by - perhaps Fergie's pride was in play when he made his decision?

Giggs to replace him...

Just for 4 games though right?

So what's different then, managerially. Because at Everton he went out, got players, made a formation, managed the people, was a moderate success. Surely at Man Utd, where he has far better resources and players, it should be vaguely similar. At what point do you say "okay, maybe it's not Moyes, maybe it's the players; they're not good enough." Of course there is the argument that they won the league the season before... so then one has to go back and ask, "what is he actually doing himself to make the team not play well.

This definitely.

Tactical ineptness seems to show. He doesn't seem to have any ideas, his one dynamite move when they're behind is to put Valencia at right back. At Everton he always had players that worked hard but weren't necessarily the best, people like Darren Fletcher suit him, Nani, Kagawa, Mata etc do not at all and Mata was simply an awful purchase, obviously he's a brilliant player, but not what United needed at the time whatsover especially with Kagawa barely featuring and Januzaj coming through.

People giving shit about Fergie leaving an aging squad is ridiculous. What did you expect him to do, shift out Ferdinand, Evra, Giggs and Vidic and replace them himself with players that suited his style and that he wanted? Handing over an ageing squad was the best thing to do as it gives a simple transitional period where those aging players can be faded out and replaced. If he'd handed over a younger squad it would have been very hard for any new manager to shift them and bring in who he wanted. As it is Fergie left behind the nucleus of a good squad of mixed age and ability. Maybe Smalling and Jones aren't good enough, on the one hand you have to say it's a good idea to buy the centre back pairing from the under 21's, on the other hand Marvin Sordell was in the U21's for ages so it certainly doesn't guarantee quality. Nonetheless there's absolutely nothing wrong with that squad, compare it to Liverpool's and it's really not far weaker, hell Liverpool last season finished in 7th, so it's clearly not all about the names on the team sheet.

What's let Moyes down is tactical ineptness and presumably motivation, although without being in the dressing room it's difficult to tell exactly what's been going on in that regard.

Also, in regards Slashman's point, how hands on do you think Fergie has been in the past 10 years since he originally said he'd retire? Alot of it was probably left to some very highly regarded coaches who had a track record of getting the very best out of some rather average players. Clearly whoever Moyes has brought in aren't of the same calibre. Lets not forget it doesn't just come down to one man doing everything himself, it's not all just Moyes vs Fergie, obviously we'll never know but I would suggest that Moyes with Fergie's backroom staff intact would have be been considerably more successful than he has been.

Am I right in saying that Mata was signed to appease the fans and to show them that Moyes does have some transfer nous in him?

Hearing he's been sacked now and Giggs is the 'long term' replacement.

That would be a bigger risk than Moyes was!

I think Giggs would only be until the end of the season.

I won't repeat everything that's been said in here already, so just briefly. Moyes was clearly out of his depth. He couldn't cope with the pressure, played negative football, made stupid decisions, clearly lost the dressing room, kept making excuses, terrible at handling the media, he didn't impose himself at all.

He's a nice guy, a good manager, but the wrong choice for Manchester United.

United should now chase Klopp if they are looking for a manager who would be good for the long term.

They missed out on targets prior to Moyes, the hierarchy need to show some guile by getting hold of Klopp. Exactly the manager United need. Will transform the club for the better.

For temp, give it to Giggs, cannot do any worse than Moyes.

van Gaal is the name that won't go away, was originally touted as Fergie's successor when he first said he'd retire in 2002 or 2003. That will appease the majority of the fans and some key players like Rooney and especially RvP. But van Gaal isn't a long term answer, he's far from someone who will come in and be meek. He'll come in, bang heads, cause fights and impose his regime. Never really been one for long term planning or managing egos.

I don't want van Gaal, we should go for Klopp, I know he signed a new deal but still.

People saying Simeone on Twitter without realising he probably wouldn't last 2 weeks before the players went on strike or something.

Van Gaal stopgap until Klopp is available methinks

Why would Klopp go to a smaller club?

That's an idiotic thing to say. If we don't get Klopp it will be because of his loyalty to Dortmund.

Main reason apart from no experience managing a big club is the fact he inherited a squad which needs rebuilding in a big way. It was always going to be a case of him needing at least 2 seasons to build a new team. Sadly in the day of money and results, patience is not shown in football.

He's somehow managed to implement a small club mentality at the biggest club in the World.

It was wonderful to see, comical at times; but all I'm saying is Fergie is one selfish bastard for leaving United when he did. Everyone knew that United were in complete shite once he left.

The biggest mistake was allowing David Gill to retire at the sametime rather than have this season with Woodward getting to know the right contacts to transfer business. Also Glazer's needed to be stern with Fergie about a proper plan about who was going succeed him.

Fergie's intimidation of match officials gave them time and points not afford to other teams.

The next 24hrs will be fun.

Moyes' time at Man Utd was never to going to successful. It is like Roy Hodgson at Liverpool.

This, I don't understand how he thought that was even a slightly good idea.


They're not a smaller club, that's just stupid.

United should go after Antonio Conte.

Wake me up when Moyes is gone.

It's never nice to see anybody lose their job and I really don't see why they should sack him already.

I hope he's there for years and complete the overhaul

I was going to attempt to be positive and list what he did well, but I can't. I get to Januzaj and I get stuck for anything else good to say.

I can't even bring myself to feel sorry for him, thats a long time passed. He was dour, styleless, unimaginative, out of his depth, uninspiring and tactically clueless, he had no ability to handle the media despite the fact that they were extraordinarily generous to him.

The best thing he's done for Manchester United is that his successor, whoever that will be, must now merely replace him a job I'm beginning to think that the vast, vast majority of football managers will achieve with consummate ease.

As for who will be trusted with that job. Klopp should be seriously considered and, if he's as ungettable as many would believe then Van Gaal would be preferable to Blanc or Giggs. Ancelotti, Simeone or Pochettino outsiders for various reasons.

AVB