Confirmed: Moyes sacked.

[Kakeru]

Don't get all the hate that United are getting for sacking Moyes. All the other clubs have been doing it without getting so much crap. Anyone with a bit of common sense should have seen that poor old Moyes was way over his head from the beginning. Everyone is coming out from under a rock to criticize United, knowing full well that they enjoyed the temporary demise of United. Hopefully, next season United will walk away with the league to prove how useless Moyes was.

Those haters are just ABU turds. They can enjoy our temporary demise for now, but they will sooner than later revert back into United's bitches as they have been so often for 20 years.

 

[Melvyn]

Jonathan Northcroft has just written a long article about the truth behind Moyes' sacking. Clearly telling Moyes' side of the story but an interesting read nonetheless.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/football/Premiership/article1404236.ece

Football's ugliest sacking: the truth
The Manchester United board continued to re-assure their embattled manager right up until the day the axe fell

ONE more humiliation. One last trial. Manchester United knew they were on the point of sacking David Moyes but still made him walk the gauntlet of Goodison Park.

The possibility of the axe had been discussed in United senior circles since February’s miserable defeat at Olympiakos. Swinging it became a probability after excruciating home losses to Liverpool and Manchester City in March. When United were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich on April 9, the blade went into the air.

The natural time to follow through was then. United’s season was effectively over. A fixtures quirk meant there were 11 days until the club’s next match, Everton away: plenty of time to remove the manager, finesse the PR, re-establish calm and give Ryan Giggs — lined up as caretaker from a long way out — the best scope to prepare the team.

And then the human element: going back to Goodison was always going to be Moyes’ worst ordeal as a United boss. Everton supporters, embittered by his departure and United’s clumsy pursuits of Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines last summer, planned a reception.

Everyone knew it. Goodison was the one ground Moyes had avoided on his endless round of United scouting trips, having not been to the stadium since leaving as a hero the previous May. But still, as a condemned man, deep breath and get ready for the stocks, he had to go.

Jeered off the bus. Enduring awkward handshakes with frosty former staff. Facing that walk, into air thick with booing, through the tunnel to the pitch. Manning the away dugout, taking ridicule from the famously caustic denizens whose seats are near the technical areas in the Goodison Road stand.

As Moyes sat during the match, a goon wearing a Grim Reaper costume and waving an imitation scythe stood at his back in the front row: a tacky stunt by a bookmaker. United players ambled through the motions; for Everton, a straightforward win. The experience left Moyes “destroyed”. He would have felt worse had he suspected — even a bit — what was coming. Not once had Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman, communicated to Moyes that results and performances needed to improve. Their many conversations were mostly about transfers and players in the existing squad, and the revamp of football operations behind the scenes, which Moyes had worked so hard at overseeing.

Sir Alex Ferguson, now a United director privy to the club’s thinking, had not warned the successor he chose that his job was under threat. Moyes knew the team needed big improvements but clung, naively — he now knows — to the six-year contract and long-term planning brief he was given upon his appointment.

In any case, on the pitch there had been an upturn: 4-1 and 4-0 Premier League wins against Aston Villa and Newcastle set up brave home and away performances against Bayern and, over the course of a two-legged quarter-final tie, United were 33 minutes away from knocking the holders out.

Six-year contract. Long-term. Rebuilding. These seeming bedrocks helped Moyes regather himself the day after Goodison and, though it was Easter Monday and he was trying to spend some time with Pamela, his wife, in their rural home near Preston, Moyes did a little work on transfers, including the £27m bid United are preparing for Southampton’s Luke Shaw. But in the early afternoon, his phone started ringing; friends, agents, family, journalists, all with the same question: “What is going on?” The daily newspaper specialists who cover United were suddenly reporting, en masse, via Twitter and in their online editions that Moyes was about to be sacked.

There was no briefing as such, just good, old-fashioned, persistent digging by reporters. They managed to elicit from elevated Old Trafford sources a signal that Moyes’ demise was imminent. The previous night, Woodward had done a ring around, putting it to other directors, including Ferguson, that now was the moment for United to sack a manager for the first time in more than 27 years. The directors knew the Glazer family, who own United, were firmly behind a change and when Woodward speaks it is with the Glazers’ voice. Still, that Monday, Moyes knew nothing. Embarrassingly, when the calls and texts rained in, he had to reply that he was in the dark. He expected Woodward to ring to clarify things. Nothing. No word from United except a bland reassurance from a press officer. Finally, around teatime, Moyes rang Woodward himself and in a short conversation was told “some of the directors aren’t happy”.

Moyes suggested that if he was going to be fired, the two should meet that evening and quietly, quickly, with civility and without cameras, get things done. Woodward replied that it was Easter, things were difficult, and Moyes would have to wait. He said they would meet at Carrington the next morning.

Moyes would just have to deal with a few more hours of phone calls, news headlines, wondering, speculation, pain.

Moyes tried Ferguson and when, after several calls and texts, he could not get his former patron on the line he knew the game was up. Ferguson subsequently explained he knew a decision had been reached and did not want to have to lie to Moyes on the phone. Moyes appreciated that position, also the sadness at seeing him go that Ferguson expressed — and holds to the belief that he always got support from his predecessor.

Six-year contract. Long-term. Though upset at how things were unfolding, especially the leaks about his demise, Moyes remained fastened to the notion that there might yet be a plan in place for United to ‘do things the right way’. He wondered if the delay was because one of the Glazers was flying in to be present at his dismissal. Yet at 7.40am on Tuesday when Moyes met Woodward, the reaper had come alone.

Woodward said the board had started having “a few doubts” after the 2-0 away defeat by Olympiakos. Moyes pointed out he had actually turned that tie around with a 3-0 win in the home leg and said he would have turned United round generally, given time. Woodward said the team had not been showing enough “spirit and fight” to suggest a revival was going to happen. Moyes noted that if there was one thing he had been associated with as a manager at Everton, it was producing sides with “spirit and fight”. Was, therefore, the lack of it in United down to the manager? It is a question he left Woodward to ponder. Some, of course, have a simple theory on such matters: if players do not give their best, it is really not the poor souls’ fault. It is all down to their gaffer.

Moyes, in fact, did not feel he had “lost the dressing room” at Old Trafford. He accepts some in United’s squad may have been pleased to see him go but he was poised to make substantial changes in the summer — and players on the way out or on the fringes of any team are seldom the fiercest soldiers.

Despite slurs about Moyes’ relationship with the group, a number of players were upset. Wayne Rooney was particularly regretful and called Moyes later on Tuesday to thank him for mending bridges between himself and United. Moyes inherited a Rooney troubled by a feud with Ferguson and ready to leave for Chelsea; now Rooney is United’s top scorer and tied by a five-year contract renewal.

Darren Fletcher was another to give Moyes a message of thanks. Adnan Januzaj was said to have been emotional when Moyes announced his departure to the squad. Giggs went to see Moyes privately and told him he was a good man. The warmest memory Moyes will take, though, is of United’s supporters — perhaps the one group who fully lived up to the image United project keenly of themselves, of being a “special club”. He knows results were disappointing and, given that, he felt, inside Old Trafford and at away grounds, they stayed foursquare behind him and the cause. Late on Friday he texted Andy Mitten, editor of the influential United We Stand fanzine, to say, “Andy. Would you please let it be known how much I appreciated the support I got from the real United fans. They were incredible. I am sorry I couldn’t give them the results they are all used to. Thanks.” The only thing from supporters Moyes could have done without was the Chosen One banner, hung at the Stretford End from the beginning of his reign: he would have preferred to earn rather than be granted such an accolade.

That last game at Goodison will be his coldest memory. Why was he put through it? Woodward — who has a different version of events to those already outlined here — says it was simply because a final, final decision on Moyes was not taken until after that defeat. Others suspect it was to let United’s rulers get their ducks lined up — and their dollars.

The ducks: De Telegraaf, Holland’s biggest newspaper, reported yesterday that United have struck an agreement making Louis van Gaal their next permanent manager and two weeks ago carried allegations of a meeting, two days after United lost in Munich, between Van Gaal, Woodward and one of the Glazers. United vehemently deny both.

 

[Melvyn]

Not disputed is that on the Tuesday before the Everton match Woodward had separate meetings with Giggs and Rio Ferdinand. Both players were there to talk about their plans for next season and it has been suggested that, in at least one of the tete-a-tetes, there was an attempt to explore the topic of Moyes. Woodward categorically denies this.

If true, it would be a bitter irony for Moyes, who set up the summits, wanting to give senior players the chance to clarify their futures well before the summer.

The dollars: Woodward prides himself on his negotiating talent, especially when it comes to contracts and getting United the best deals. Barring miracles, United were not going to qualify for next season’s Champions League but only the Everton defeat made this arithmetically certain. And that had a happy consequence for the Glazers, who have sucked £700m from United to service debt since their takeover in 2005, and talk — through Woodward — of being willing to “throw money” at football problems, but do not always act that way.

Missing the Champions League, for certain, meant Moyes could be given a reduced pay-off and the settlement agreed with United on Friday left him walking away with £3.5m, a year’s basic salary. He might have been entitled to £4.5m were United still contending for the top four.

Richard Bevan, chief executive of the League Managers Association, of which Ferguson and Moyes are committee members, released a statement contrasting Moyes’ “integrity and professionalism” and United’s “rich tradition” with the “unprofessional manner” in which his departure was handled. Shock at United’s behaviour was registered in the European press and top boardrooms elsewhere. “Unsavoury” was the verdict of one of England’s more important football executives. “Sackings aren’t easy but when you sack someone you get them inside the building first and tell them before the world knows it is going to happen.” Another £1m, however, is now available to service United’s debt.

Did money-saving doom him from the start? Another neat fiscal manoeuvre — or happy accident for the Glazers — involved announcing Moyes as Ferguson’s successor last May, but not starting him as manager until July 1. This meant Everton were not entitled to any compensation for a manager they had nurtured for 11 years. It presented, though, immediate difficulties for Moyes.

The first issue he had to address was his backroom staff. Mike Phelan and Eric Steele, two of Ferguson’s trusted assistants, were coming out of contract and Moyes felt he had to make a decision on them, out of fairness, before meeting the pair. He wanted Rene Meulensteen, Ferguson’s chief coach, to stay but because Moyes was still an Everton employee he was unable to go to Carrington, spend proper time getting to know the Dutchman to establish a basis to work together.

Meulensteen — with his own management ambitions — decided to go. Even now, Moyes’ detractors portray him as having “sacked” Meulensteen but he finally admitted this week it had been his decision to quit. “It became evident to me after a few meetings with David Moyes about the upcoming season that he wanted to bring in his own people and do things in his own way, and I felt very strongly that things would change dramatically for myself, so I couldn’t carry on,” Meulensteen said.

The PR from United was all about Moyes being Ferguson’s appointment, an almost sentimental choice, the manager the great man believed was in his own image. This was nice, for the successor, in a way — and Ferguson certainly did his bit by taking to the pitch at Old Trafford and, via a microphone, commanding the faithful: “Your job is now to stand by our new manager.” But there were no great pronouncements from the Glazers and with Woodward starting in David Gill’s old role, also on July 1, no way Moyes’ immediate boss could be held accountable for his actual appointment.

To some observers, this always created “wriggle-room” for the ownership to make a rapid change if things were not felt to be working out. Woodward would contend searching for a new manager, now, is the last thing he needs, with so many transfer deals to progress. These, incidentally, will continue to be worked on, and perhaps even completed, before Moyes’ successor is appointed. Early on in his new job, Woodward spoke of the “all-powerful manager” model United followed, in contrast to clubs who have directors of football: signing players then presenting them to a coach who comes later feels like another breach with Old Trafford’s past.

Last summer’s transfer window, when a manager was in place, was frustrating, however. A flawed pursuit of Cesc Fabregas left United nowhere. Woodward tried to gazump Real Madrid on Gareth Bale but, despite offering more than the £85m he moved for, it proved too late. Interest in Cristiano Ronaldo also came to nothing. Moyes cautioned against Woodward pursuing a complicated strategy to snare Baines and Fellaini in a double-transfer — it ended merely with United getting Fellaini but paying £4m more than the Belgian’s expired £23.5m get-out clause. Deadline day, when efforts to sign Ander Herrera and Fabio Coentrao fell through, was frantic and hollow.

Both Moyes and Woodward feel the other one was responsible for the poor window. Moyes was not helped by the failure of Fellaini, hampered by injuries and, perhaps, a shy nature, to live up to the status of being United’s only significant signing. Ferguson did bequeath Moyes a £15m signing but, even now, Wilfried Zaha, on loan and used mostly as a substitute by relegation-fighting Cardiff, has yet to establish himself in the Premier League.

A horrible fixture list — Chelsea at home, Liverpool and Manchester City away — in his first five games made building early momentum difficult. Robin van Persie, the difference in so many games the previous season, when United won the title, was in and out of the team through injury. There was a home defeat to West Brom but nevertheless results picked up — until successive home defeats, in early December, to Newcastle and Everton, rocked confidence. In both, United had reasonable possession but played too slowly and were hit in second-half counterattacks. Moyes’ Everton had always been so resilient but, with the core of the 2012-13 title-winners nearly all older than 30, a frustrated Moyes told confidants: “I just can’t get any energy into this team.”

Some players would say training, involving longer sessions and more fitness work, did not help. Moyes would point out his Everton nearly always got stronger throughout a season, often finishing like a train. Moyes’ championing of Rooney, and the renewal of the striker’s contract, in a complex deal that could net him £300,000 a week (but guarantees a lot less) is alleged to have caused some players resentment. It is not known if Ferguson was overjoyed. However, in a season where so few players have produced their expected output, Rooney has scored 17 times and was in good form before a toe injury. If Moyes backed him, it is because Rooney reciprocated on the pitch.

Did other players? Moyes changed his line-up 51 times in 51 games and a fault may have been too much faith in that six-year contract. Moyes was forever trying combinations out, looking for indicators he could take into the summer and apply to the “rebuild”. Perhaps he made too clear, too early, to some players that they would not be part of the future, making it difficult when, because of injuries, he suddenly had to call on them again. Even in the Everton game he was not prioritising immediate results: he chose Nani, for whom he would have listened to offers, to put him in the shop window before the summer.

Giggs, in his pre-match press conference for Norwich, said he had already discovered the manager’s office at Carrington can seem lonely. Revamped after Ferguson left it is an austere place, cloistered in a corner of the building with oak panels, no big windows out on to the training pitch like Moyes had at Everton’s Finch Farm complex and the feel of a discreet hotel suite, not a football hub.

It is unlikely Moyes will miss the vibe. Taking a break in Miami this weekend, he is looking forward to his next chapter: clubs both in England and Europe have been in contact to register interest but he also has thoughts of taking a sabbatical for a year. As an inveterate student of coaching, he has a notion to travel to South America and spend several months looking at coaching methods and how clubs operate in Argentina and Brazil.

Giggs has pledged to return United to a traditional way of playing: wingers, midfielders ahead of the ball, pace, attack. Moyes would have liked that too but felt the squad needed younger, and in some areas much better, players to make it possible. His legacy will be the number of high-quality scouts, analysts and systems men he brought with him, like John Murtough, the Premier League’s former head of elite performance.

Having traversed Europe and personally scouted more than 20 players United might target this summer, he has shaped the list Woodward is working on, which includes Shaw, William Carvalho, Marco Reus and Toni Kroos. The next boss might inherit more than Zaha.

What kind of dressing room will they take over? The anti-Moyes spin of recent days suggests it must be managed carefully. Several United players employ publicists. There are stars of foreign national teams, with ardent presses in their own countries behind them.

Then there is the “Class of 92”, who need nobody’s help to get their views across given their status and platforms in the media. They were the soul of Manchester United once and, with one of their number, Giggs, in charge, may have a brief window in which to show they can be the soul of Manchester United renewed.

Soul? One player was going to put out a supportive tweet when Moyes was sacked but checked with his entourage and thought, nah. He pressed delete.

 

[royboy16]

Meanwhile in Miami..

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/fo...lum-as-he-heads-to-Miami-after-nightmare-week

 

[The Man Himself]

Why are we still discussing this?

 

[PlayerOne]

Wow where do I even start with that article? Was it written by Moyes? I see he's still refusing to take much blame for this season. Can't get energy into the team? The energy seemed fine yesterday and I see he still thinks his Everton setup would work just fine here, that's what led his downfall. Just because something works for Everton it doesn't mean it will work here, we play two games a week and we have to win both, unlike Everton. I also see that he admitted he treated Rooney differently, how did he think that was going to go down with the other players?


If Fellaini is shy natured then how did he think such a big transfer will help? Bring him to a club where we get so much media attention and we have demanding fans, plus a big fee to go along with it, how can it go wrong?

 

[Erebus]

The only thing remotely interesting in that is the statement that the club weren't briefing about Moyes at all, despite what the media would have us all believe

There was no briefing as such, just good, old-fashioned, persistent digging by reporters.
.

 

[Sunny Jim]

This article is shocking...cant understand why the media defend him so much

 

[entropy]

Why are we still discussing this?

This thread will be beaten to death by Moyes haters. They were right to disagree with fergie when he appointed him and now woody has proved them right. We haven't heard the end of this yet!

 

[Plugsy]

Why are we still discussing this?

Why are we football fans on a football discussion forum discussion the issues and circumstance surrounding the dismissal of our former manager?

I've no idea, it bogges the mind, doesn't it?

Next you'll be telling me we often discuss former players or previous results, but that's just crazy talk.

 

[PlayerOne]

This article is shocking...cant understand why the media defend him so much

It's spin by Moyes. There's a few things in press today defending Moyes today, like how Rooney got angry at players at how they celebrated Moyes getting sacked or Moyes felt Paul Scholes "killed" him with TV criticism. But, to top it off, this was in the Mirror by Ian Holloway:

David Moyes is at the lowest point of his career right now.

Getting the sack is a fact of life when you are a football manager. It’s a hazard of a job that should come with a health warning.

But nothing you learn, when you are striving for your UEFA coaching badges, prepares you for the shock and anger that wells up inside you when your P45 gets handed back to you in such a publicly humiliating way.

You go from hero to zero; from someone whose opinion matters to a nobody who people will cross the road to avoid.

Or, at least, that’s how it feels.

It’s a pride thing. You go through an identity crisis as you question who you are and what you believe in.

Suddenly, you don’t recognise the game that takes up every waking moment. You no longer feel you belong.

Every football manager has an ego. It’s one of the requirements of the job because you have to have a total commitment in what you are trying to achieve and you have to carry an entire football club with you.

Being told you’re not good enough knocks all that self-assurance out of you – and it’s left to your family and friends to help you pick up the pieces and rebuild your shattered confidence little by little.

This is the first time David has been sacked in 16 years as a manager.

And, knowing the man as I do, I have no doubts that he will be back better and stronger than ever for the experience he has been through at Manchester United.

The dream job turned into a nightmare in just 10 months - succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson was always going to be a monumental task.

But we all thought that Sir Alex’s very public backing of David – and United’s decision to hand him a six-year contract was proof that he was joining a club that is a class apart from the rest.

Remember how close Fergie came to getting the boot in 1990 before a Mark Robins goal at Nottingham Forest put United on their way to an FA Cup triumph, which was to be the first trophy in a great club’s most successful era?

United showed last week that, behind the glitz and the glamour, they are just another football club.

Of course, we managers live and die by our results – and we wouldn’t have it any other way. But, after losing both Sir Alex and chief executive David Gill last summer, there was always going to be a period of transition, especially as the new manager was going to need to rebuild an ageing squad.

Let’s be honest, United won the title last season simply because Robin van Persie scored 30 goals.

Is it David’s fault the Dutchman has spent much of this campaign in the treatment room? That’s not bad management, it’s just very bad luck.

When United’s summer targets – Barcelona's ex-Arsenal midfielder Cesc Febregas, David's old Everton left-back Leighton Baines and the Toffees' midfielder Marouane Fellaini – became such public knowledge, I sensed something had changed at Old Trafford.

A club, which had always done transfer business under the radar, had adopted a scattergun approach to player recruitment.

For example, how on earth could such a magnificent servant as Patrice Evra be expected to play his very best, knowing United had tried to replace him with Baines?

I feel Moyesy has been treated disgracefully by the biggest club in the land.

From the botched way they handled last summer’s transfer business to the insensitive way his sacking was leaked to the Press.

I read comments from Sir Alex, saying he was devastated about how David’s time at Old Trafford came to an end.

It was his decision to make the appointment in the first place and I am surprised and saddened that Sir Alex wasn’t able to save Moyesy in the same way men such as Sir Matt Busby and Sir Bobby Charlton helped him during his own difficult early days at the club.

A generation of United supporters seem to have been spoilt by success.

I now wonder whether the rot has set into the entire club.

 

[Plugsy]

It's spin by Moyes. There's a few things in press today defending Moyes today, like how Rooney got angry at players at how they celebrated Moyes getting sacked or Moyes felt Paul Scholes "killed" him with TV criticism. But, to top it off, this was in the Mirror by Ian Holloway:

It's incredible. It's as if the decline from 1st to 7th is supposed to be just ignored and that all that happened was a noble guy lost his job. What I think reflects really bad on Moyes with these sob stories is that what we did is nothing compared to what every other major club would have done. Do we think that had he been gainfully employed in west London, Madrid, Paris or even the other side of Manchester that he would have to suffer merely a day of uncertainty? He'd be under pressure and under fire from the moment of the first defeat almost.

What does it say if he's hurt by an leak that got out a few hours before he was told? How many Chelsea or Madrid managers have to go the entire season knowing that nobody on the board likes them and they're getting sacked pretty much regardless of what they do come May. The 'woe is me' over the difference of a few hours. Yes it was perhaps unprofessional of the club but I don't think his reputation is enhanced by crying a river over it.

 

[The Man Himself]

Why are we football fans on a football discussion forum discussion the issues and circumstance surrounding the dismissal of our former manager?

I've no idea, it bogges the mind, doesn't it?

Next you'll be telling me we often discuss former players or previous results, but that's just crazy talk.

Nobody is feckin telling you anything personally. If you can't answer properly then feck off. There isn't any point in repeating same thing again and again but people like you are capable of only that much, so carry on.

 

[Plugsy]

Nobody is feckin telling you anything personally. If you can't answer properly then feck off. There isn't any point in repeating same thing again and again but people like you are capable of only that much, so carry on.

I answered the question properly. Why do so many people go into so many threads and ask "Why is this being discussed" or "lock the thread". It's mindnumbing. If you're someone who can't cope with more than a weeks worth of information at a time there are plenty of other outlets for you. Personally I and a few others find the revelations an details behind the dismissal interesting and wish to discuss it.

What's repeated is "Why isn't this thread locked yet it's it's so old, more than a week which is like a hundred"

 

[Needham]

Jonathan Northcroft has just written a long article about the truth behind Moyes' sacking. Clearly telling Moyes' side of the story but an interesting read nonetheless.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/sport/football/Premiership/article1404236.ece

Football's ugliest sacking: the truth
The Manchester United board continued to re-assure their embattled manager right up until the day the axe fell

Woodward is the Michael Finnigan of the football boardroom world.

 

[The Man Himself]

Woodward is the Michael Finnigan of the football boardroom world.

I don't see any point in believing something written in Sunday Times. Definitely Moyes must have known about it already and board is not stupid to reassure him and act dicks. They might have done in some capacity prior till Everton game but not after that.

 

[sullydnl]

There's so much spinning going on from the club, players and Moyes that it becomes very difficult to know what's true and what isn't. I'm sure most of the posters here will believe whichever story suits their own particular point of view.

Personally, I'm just going to assume Moyes, the players and the club were all in the wrong in one way or another and move on.

 

[Erebus]

Has anyone noticed they all use phrases like 'knowing Moyes as I do' or 'anyone who has met Moyes will know'. Quite simply this is people supporting their mate, their friend. Now I suspect most of us would do the same so I don't have so much of a problem with it - but please don't pretend it's honest journalism. It isn't. It's supporting your mate - that's all, just like any of us would. At least be honest and say this rather than try to cloak it with a veneer of journalistic integrity.

 

[Sultan]

 

[Plugsy]

I despise PaddyPower

 

[Spoony]

There's so much spinning going on from the club, players and Moyes that it becomes very difficult to know what's true and what isn't. I'm sure most of the posters here will believe whichever story suits their own particular point of view.

Personally, I'm just going to assume Moyes, the players and the club were all in the wrong in one way or another and move on.

Yeah I'd take most articles with a pinch of salt. The fact is Moyes just wasn't good enough, the rest is just spin from all parties.

 

[Fergie's Man]

I find it incredible how Moyes' side of the story can be dismissed so easily. For all his failings, he is a straight up honest guy and I would likely take his side of events before I would take that of The Snake that sacked him.

It seems that Moyes' side of events creates wonderment as to why we are still discussing this, but this article is newsworthy and should be discussed.

 

[NinjaZombie]

There's a story going around that Moyes and the players watched Scholes criticism of the way we lost 3-0 at home to City and Moyes saying to his staff that Scholes "has killed him there."

Not sure how true it is, but Moyes gives off the impression that he is a little bit thinned skin.

As much as I've backed him this season, he's really fecked the job up to be honest, and personally, because of the way he has handled Rooney, I can safely say that I am not sorry to see him go.

 

[bobbyf]

Wow where do I even start with that article? Was it written by Moyes? I see he's still refusing to take much blame for this season. Can't get energy into the team? The energy seemed fine yesterday and I see he still thinks his Everton setup would work just fine here, that's what led his downfall. Just because something works for Everton it doesn't mean it will work here, we play two games a week and we have to win both, unlike Everton. I also see that he admitted he treated Rooney differently, how did he think that was going to go down with the other players?

Absolutely. No questions about why Moyes took over a winning team and chose to ignore Sir Alex's advice about continuity and change the coaching staff? (He decided on Phelan and Steele before meeting them?) Or his asinine attempt to change tactics and failure to strengthen the squad? All we got from him was how disappointed he was the results weren't better. Bit of an understatement there, they were atrocious and the season was a complete disaster.

It was also well known that he felt the team were lacking in some areas, so it's big surprise that the players had little faith in him? His CV wasn't exactly bursting with achievements either, unlike the players. He's trying to blame Woodward as well, but Moyes chose the transfer targets, Woodward just negotiated them. If they were unrealisitic or not up too scratch whose fault was that? It doesn't say when they tried to hijack the Bale deal, could have been too late. Muelensteen also said Moyes dithered on certain deals already on the table, like Thiago and Strootman, and we lost out on both.

And there's a lot more. Yes, his dismissal was not handled very well, but if he didn't have an inkling it was on the cards after such a disastrous tenure he must be pretty naive or short-sighted or both. Talking of spin, there's quite a bit of that in Northcroft's article too and a few excuses for failure. Moyes will always be remembered for taking the champions to 7th, not an outgoing manager who was hard done by.

 

[Andy_Cole]

The worst thing about his reign is the fact that we're behind Tim Sherwood's Tottenham. Let that sink for a bit..

 

[bobbyf]

It's spin by Moyes. There's a few things in press today defending Moyes today, like how Rooney got angry at players at how they celebrated Moyes getting sacked or Moyes felt Paul Scholes "killed" him with TV criticism. But, to top it off, this was in the Mirror by Ian Holloway:

What a clown Holloway is. Yeah we won the league cos of one player and our squad are all past it and the old chestnut about 'rebuilding'. No agenda there then. You would think that any half decent manager could use stuff like this to motivate our squad, the champions, and get them playing. But not his best mate Moyes, who went along with the squad deficiency nonsense, publicly, stating that SAF couldn't do better with the same players. And Moyes was surprised when they didn't take him or his dinosaur tactics seriously?

And now Holly is whingeing cos Moyes has lost his job. Blaming the club for 'botching' last summer? Yep, Fabregas was gonna leave Barca for us under Moyes, he would ignore being the natural successor to Xavi and Iniesta or even a move back to Arsenal. Not a chance. Who asked the club to make a bid for him? Should have tried for Messi too while we were there. And it is Moyes' fault RVP was injured. He changed the training regime for the older players too, who usually did some work on their own. A classic case of breaking what doesn't need fixing.

For someone who stepped down from a job cos he clearly wasn't up to it, Mr Holloway should know another hopeless case when he sees one. He should also check his facts first before coming across as a bitter old git. And calling fans spolit? No, we are realists. We know when someone is totally out of their depth and needs to be removed. It's about retaining the same high standards we had before which was never gonna happen under Holly's clueless mate.

And Scholesy was right to criticise him, it's called passion, cos he supports the club.

 

[A1X]

Meanwhile in Miami..

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/fo...lum-as-he-heads-to-Miami-after-nightmare-week

Miami, eh? Angling for a job at that club Beckham is setting up, perhaps?

 

[kps88]

There were a few around here at the time surprised at Scholes' media appearence. It was a bit strange. He's the last person you'd think would enjoy being a pundit and, in hindsight, it did look like a bit of an attack. That was the game when Neville let loose a bit as well.

 

[Pexbo]

There were a few around here at the time surprised at Scholes' media appearence. It was a bit strange. He's the last person you'd think would enjoy being a pundit and, in hindsight, it did look like a bit of an attack. That was the game when Neville let loose a bit as well.

The same interview where he said they need to stick by Moyes?

 

[Kag]

I always laugh when Moyes gets credit for targeting the likes of Kroos, Reus and Shaw. As if he has scoured the Earth to uncover said hidden gems.

 

[Pexbo]

I always laugh when Moyes gets credit for targeting the likes of Kroos, Reus and Shaw. As if he has scoured the Earth to uncover said hidden gems.

Indeed.

 

[PlayerOne]

What a clown Holloway is. Yeah we won the league cos of one player and our squad are all past it and the old chestnut about 'rebuilding'. No agenda there then. You would think that any half decent manager could use stuff like this to motivate our squad, the champions, and get them playing. But not his best mate Moyes, who went along with the squad deficiency nonsense, publicly, stating that SAF couldn't do better with the same players. And Moyes was surprised when they didn't take him or his dinosaur tactics seriously?

And now Holly is whingeing cos Moyes has lost his job. Blaming the club for 'botching' last summer? Yep, Fabregas was gonna leave Barca for us under Moyes, he would ignore being the natural successor to Xavi and Iniesta or even a move back to Arsenal. Not a chance. Who asked the club to make a bid for him? Should have tried for Messi too while we were there. And it is Moyes' fault RVP was injured. He changed the training regime for the older players too, who usually did some work on their own. A classic case of breaking what doesn't need fixing.

For someone who stepped down from a job cos he clearly wasn't up to it, Mr Holloway should know another hopeless case when he sees one. He should also check his facts first before coming across as a bitter old git. And calling fans spolit? No, we are realists. We know when someone is totally out of their depth and needs to be removed. It's about retaining the same high standards we had before which was never gonna happen under Holly's clueless mate.

And Scholesy was right to criticise him, it's called passion, cos he supports the club.

Agreed, that Holloway article is beyond terrible. I guess he feels he must stick up for other managers but he went over the top.

 

[Bojan11]

All these Moyes defenders seem to blame Woodward. The soccer Saturday clowns were the same.

It was Moyes who turned down Thiago because he wasn't so sure. Strootman was there for him, but he turned him down.

 

[kps88]

The same interview where he said they need to stick by Moyes?

Yes. He criticised his signings, no pace in the team, the defending, said the players aren't playing the way they should. When directly asked if Moyes should be given time, he's hardly going to come out and say "no, sack him now".

 

[Pexbo]

Yes. He criticised his signings, no pace in the team, the defending, said the players aren't playing the way they should. When directly asked if Moyes should be given time, he's hardly going to come out and say "no, sack him now".

So he criticised the players and not the manager?

 

[kps88]

So he criticised the players and not the manager?

When you criticise the way the team is playing and the signings made in the summer, I guess the manager comes into it as well?

 

[Jimy_Hills_Chin]

I always laugh when Moyes gets credit for targeting the likes of Kroos, Reus and Shaw. As if he has scoured the Earth to uncover said hidden gems.

They are players that I sign on FM. No literally those are three players that I always sign!

It is interesting how the article mentions improved performances under Moyes recently: against Newcastle we had 8 shots at goals and they had 14; against Villa we had 9 shot and they had 10, that was on our home turf as well!

Against Norwich yesterday we had 25 shots and they has 9!

Yesterday in the second half was the first game all season where we looked like we were going to obliterate a team.

Moyes said that we didn't have the players to play like that - wrong!

I am glad that he is gone soley on the basis of the awful football he plays and his chronic lack of charisma.

Whatever happened behind the scenes he was the absolutely the wrong choice and I thank the lord that he is gone.

 

[SteveJ]

I find it incredible how Moyes' side of the story can be dismissed so easily. For all his failings, he is a straight up honest guy and I would likely take his side of events before I would take that of The Snake that sacked him.

Well, yes, I'd be inclined to trust in a football man like Moyes over a corporate guy who somehow thinks that he's fit to decide who signs for United. However, the impression I get is that Moyes as manager was floundering: he might've had long-terms plans in place but his present management was a mixed bag of over-strong authoritarianism and weak concessions; blunt-speaking and keeping people (the press, favoured players) sweet; stale, traditional thinking and supposedly innovative touches. While this mixed message could be viewed as merely the kind of on-the-fly compromising that able politicians routinely do, it also speaks of a lack of overall vision, organisation and cool-headedness; it speaks of a drowning man out of his depth entirely.

 

[KeninDC]

Can't decide which historical reference is the best analog for Moyes's tenure: Kerensky, The Weimar Republic or Andropov. All tumultuous and brief periods that ended in failure.

 

[SteveJ]

Kerensky: well-meaning but flawed efforts that ended up with him in American exile.