Barely hours after David Moyes’ tenure at Manchester United came to an end, analysts are already pointing fingers at those that caused his crisis at Old Trafford.
Below is the list of the culprits:
5. Sir Alex Ferguson
The greatest manager British football’s ever seen called time on his 26-year reign in the perfect way on the pitch, wrestling the Premier League title back from noisy neighbours Manchester City.
* Coach David Moyes sacked by Man United for poor performance
Off the pitch, it was a different story. In choosing Moyes as his replacement, he could have put the house he built back years. United could have gone hell for leather for Jose Mourinho, but Ferguson’s vision took priority.
Instead of taking a real step back, Ferguson’s misguided faith in his protege has put a small dent in his gleaming legacy.
Ferguson will always be held in peerless esteem at United, but he should be well away from the next managerial appointment.
4. Marouane Fellaini
* United's defender, Ferdinand is one of the club's old guards that have been found wanting this season
Moyes’ sole summer signing has been an unmitigated disaster.
The Belgian lacks every hallmark of a true United midfielder, and has caused more problems with his disciplinary record - see the disgraceful elbow on Pablo Zabaleta - than he’s solved with his on-field contribution.
His signing was an early indicator of a manager with a lack of ideas, who touted the club around half of Europe’s playmakers before overspending on his own player whose quality he’d supposedly taken a step up from.
3. Ed Woodward
United’s chief executive, who shared his first summer in charge with Moyes, has also been blamed for the club’s off-field decline.
Straight from the start of the transfer window, it was clear things weren’t quite right.
* Former United coach, Alex Ferguson has been blamed for choosing wrong coach for the club
Over-eager to make bold ‘statement’ signings to herald a new era at Old Trafford, United publicly and desperately courted players like Cesc Fabregas and Ander Herrera, whose supposed representatives turned out to be imposters.
Equally, the ridiculous notion they were competing for Gareth Bale made the club look foolish. These are things United just simply didn’t do.
Fast forward six months and the huge £37million deal for Juan Mata, a superb player languishing on Chelsea’s bench, was a similar ‘marquee’ signing, best performing in Wayne Rooney’s role at United.
Rooney was not given a jawdropping £300,000-a-week contract to be sidelined, so Moyes must now juggle two playmakers.
The buck stops with Moyes, but his life wasn’t made any easier by the new regime.
2. Rio Ferdinand and the rest of the old guard
While John Terry has had his best season in years since Jose Mourinho’s return to Chelsea, leading to England fans clamouring for his return to the national side, no-one has mentioned ex-partner Ferdinand.
The former colossus has played himself into semi-retired irrelevance this season.
He’s not the only one. Nemanja Vidic was a mere shadow of his former self before announcing he was off to Inter.
Time has now run out, but when United’s most experienced players needed to take the lead, they were found wanting in the extreme.
1. David Moyes
The former Everton coach has been accused of failing to meet with Man United's standards since he was employed tem months ago.
Moyes’ tactics were said to be always reactive rather than forcing their style on the opposition.
The Scot had an awful record against top teams while at Everton, and when this continued at United with humbling a against bitter rivals Liverpool and City the majority of fans had turned.
He completely failed to drum up support within the squad, who rather than rally when the going got tough simply wilted even further.
Moyes must now hope he won’t be damaged goods for a club on a level below United.
Long touted for one of the game’s biggest posts due to his Goodison Park stewardship, when the time came Moyes failed on every count.
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