I’ll start with a cliché. Silly season.
Previously level-headed United bloggers/journalists/fans have quite literally lost their marbles in recent weeks.
Sure, nobody likes losing, but the recent reactions to defeats pretty much gives license to opposing fans to grinningly nod and congratulate themselves with a “I knew it”. All United fans are spoilt, dependent, fair-weather creatures who simply can’t understand it when things just don’t go their way.
Have a look at the final league table from 2011/2012 . Have a look at who finished in 6th, 25 points off the top. It happens. Its transition. Its change. It DOES NOT necessarily call for doom laden proclamations involving Graeme Souness.
Think about your day job.
Think about the company you work for, who you might manage, or who you might report to.
Now think about your employer’s biggest competitive rival. A rival that has steamrolled competition for two decades.
Now think about going to work there, and being tasked with not just stamping your authority on a previously plutocratic sovereignty ($hit, whatever term you want to describe one trophy wealthy, peerless, completely controlling individual’s empire) and to flourish immediately.
It’s the one dreadful pundit cliché that stands. The impossible job.
And now let’s think about Ferguson himself. Was he born brilliant? Did he learn to be brilliant? Was the Aberdeen success a more comfortable pill to swallow two years into his disastrous United early years? Did that give him the time with the fans? Yes, a different era, different pressures, but im talking about the training required for the individual to guarantee some kind of longevity.
What does his dismal start tell you? He won a European trophy with Aberdeen? He usurped the Old Firm? Why the hell couldn’t he do better than 15th place, three years into his job!???
Lets look at that final table in 1989/1990. United were five points off relegation. So. What can we read into this? Sure, Moyes inherited a squad of Champions, but we all know its frailties, and don’t get me started on the performances of the elderly members of the current back-four… but Ferguson kept his job and was backed. And don’t bring up the FA Cup win, or Mark Robins.
Facts are facts, after three years Ferguson got everything wrong. Finishing 13th, and five points off relegation was disastrous. I remember it.
What happened next? The board stuck with him, whilst also allowing him to splash out a then huge amount of cash on Wallace, Pallister, Ince and Webb. And finally it all turned around.
So what am I trying to say here? Essentially, it’s not about David Moyes individually, it’s about the culture of the club. If we want Manchester United to be in genuine trophy contention, yearly, in these modern times, then we have to follow the sack/hire/sack model of City and Chelsea. Fact. And even then you can’t guard against a Chelsea final standing in 2011/12.
Or, we stick to our beliefs. And stick with our man. And not trot out the ubiquitous “I can’t find one single positive since Moyes has been here” line. OF COURSE YOU CAN’T. YOU’RE NOT PRIVILEGED TO BE BEHIND THE SCENES EVERY DAY. I’d love to hear the bloggers/influencers comments on Ferguson’s mid-season 15th in 1989.
I’m sure there were a ton of positives there too….
This isn’t a DAVID MOYES IS THE RIGHT MAN, WE MUST STICK WITH HIM article. It’s a bigger picture than that. It’s not about him. It’s about a belief in prolonged success.
Clearly 87% of you want shot of him, and you’re entitled to that, but if he gets sacked before he has the chance to mobilise a beast of a company/structure like Manchester United, then Jurgen Klopp will be no different. And if Moyes is sacked, and Klopp (or anyone else) arrives, it’s too late then. The precedent is set. United are then one of those clubs, and you can kiss goodbye to such an incredible history .
Let’s try to ignore the modern-day arrogance of the Twitterati. They don’t know better than Moyes. If they did, they’d be millionaires running football clubs, not writing about them. There’s an inherent sociological reason as to why it will take Ferguson’s successor time. That’s a fact born outside of a chosen individual. To continue Ferguson’s work, and to even begin to make the current structure remain in place, we HAVE to have continuity.
That’s continuity in method, work and tradition.
Allow me to be one of the 13%. I genuinely believe it’s better to have a perceived “catastrophe” of 7th place for a couple of years if it continues everything Ferguson fought so hard for.
Glory hunting short-termism is the realm of the Sheik and the Oligarch. They can keep it.
Valid points but you have got to agree that he deserves hell lot of blame as well.
Yes the squad needs reinforcements but come on, with players like Rvp, Rooney, Januzaj and Mata, Moyes makes em play like Stoke with little or no link up play.
Then again, splashed a record sum to sign Mata only to play him out-wide knowing that he does not offer any threatening pace.
Doubt he can prove the doubters wrong but we shall see.
He’s just started to work with them. A whole new squad of 30 odd players. He’s barely started. We can’t patronise him yet. You think he doesnt realise what Mata’s best position is? Do people genuinely think that? He’ll know more about football than we ever will. Again, this isbnt an article about him being the right choice, or the right man necessarily, its bigger than that.
U fail to provide any reasons to support your case that moyes is the right person for united and will be able to turn it around.
No one can, the united pr team would have pounced on it if there was one. Stop pandering to tradition and use simple logic.
I so respect this attitude, Cartelmike. In each circumstance that we as football fans see other clubs summarily sacking managers everyone is quick to point out stupid they are, what a kneejerk reaction it is, etc. How many times have you heard that ‘managers need time’? And yet even after a few months Moyes was facing huge scrutiny about whether he was up to the job. Fair enough, it’s a huge job. I’m an Everton fan and I loved the Moyesiah. I get the fact that not everyone will but he’s passionate, determined, hardworking and 100% committed to the job in hand.
He may end up being the wrong man for the job but at least give him ONE SEASON. It’s unlikely you’ll win the Premiership, maybe you won’t even qualify for Champions League. But Man Utd are bigger than that. You have principles and you’re not Chelsea or City or Spurs. You’re Man Utd.
i havent said Moyes is the right person? Who can know who the right person is?
I get your point, but what is it that few seem to understand that history easily repeats itself? I am privileged to be old enough to have supported and watch united with Charlton, Law, Best and a whole host of other heroes at the helm. Who remembers or have read about Utd’s 1968 triumph in Europe, followed by a steep decline and 20 years in the wilderness. What did I learn from that is that Sir Alex Ferguson learned nothing despite all his successes…and 1. You cannot reply on ageing heroes. Loyalty doesn’t stop the legs weakening and skills declining. 2. You must get reinforcements before the heroes need zimmer frames. I admire Ferguson for his unparalleled successes, but he must take significant blame for the weak midfield and ageing defence. He also allowed the best young midfielder (Pogba) to leave because of his pride and arrogance, and towards the end made some strange transfer decisions. So it’s not all on Moyes. Moyes picked up a squad well past it’s best, but Moyes, Fergies choice is like Wilf McGuiness (Busby’s personal choice), and is like a deer in the headlights with average back room management, poor tactical choices, and strategy that is suspect from the start, who doesn’t appear to understand United’s legacy of attacking football, use of younger players, or relegating non-performers to the reserves! He also is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the Manchester United brand
Moyes was never the right choice. That being said, the current players earn lots of money, and they need to stop sulking and get some passion and fire into their games and represent United…stop playing like a bunch of schoolboys, or get the hell out. I am so angry and upset with some of the teams performances this year, I am nearly ready to burst. If you lose boys…ffs do it with some pride and passion.
Do I think Moyes will last? No I don’t. He is a competent mid-table manager, with a mid-table mentality and I don’t think he can change his management style enough to deal with the numbers and needs of top, top players that United will eventually have and get the best out of them. If I am wrong I will hold my hand up…but I’m not holding my breath!!
Without any doubt the most imbecilic mail I have ever read
What you are saying is ‘ignore all the facts that counter my logic’
‘Believe me when i tell you that there are positives you can not see’
This is the best part
‘Again, this isbnt(sic) an article about him being the right choice, or the right man necessarily, its bigger than that.’
OOHH! LOOK HOW IMPORTANT MY ARTICLE IS IT’S BIGGER THAN ALL THE OTHER ARTICLES
Your arrogance is matched by your stupidity. It also matches your ‘keyboard skills’
Are you American?
Do not tell me who I can and cannot patronise! He has been working with the players for 9 months,he has tried all available formations and line ups and the outcome is always the same. Garbage!!
Even you can not be that stupid.(Or maybe, after reading your ludicrous article, you are)
What does this answer mean in the normal world?
‘i havent said Moyes is the right person? Who can know who the right person is?’
Wonderful grasp of punctuation. I can’t see the point of writing an article when you appear to have difficulty putting a sentence together in the English Language.
Don’t know which I find more amusing your bizarre ‘logic’ or your command of what I presume is your native tongue.
Moyes last weekend!! Dead man walking!! The champagne is on ice
Reblogged this on Museluver's Blog and commented:
What’s that Metallica song… ‘Sad But True’