United Corner- Derby Day Disappointment (December 13th 2017)

United Corner- Derby Day Disappointment (December 13th 2017)

The reality is that most of us Manchester United fans would have accepted that Manchester City have the superior eleven starting at the moment, but that doesn't mean we have to accept being second best as we were at Old Trafford on Sunday.

It has taken a couple of days for the defeat to really sink in and the stories of the tunnel fracas and subsequent press conferences both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola has kept the wound a little fresher than I was hoping.

The thing that really grates is that, despite being second best, and despite the feeling United are not as good as City at this moment in time, United should not have lost in the manner they did. Two horrible mistakes from set pieces and the game was gone, but looking back it was only when United began to chase the game that City really had the openings to put the game away and I can't think of too many great chances created before that.

I'm not saying United were playing better.

But I am saying that City were mainly kept at arm's length and those two mistakes from set pieces are haunting me in a game where I feel United could have got a result.

Even with that in mind, there are clearly some way to go before United can really match those lot across the way and I think the next summer transfer window is going to be a really big one for Jose Mourinho. A legitimate number 10 and another wide player have to be the priority, but it can't just be a functioning player but one that can really turn a game.

That would seriously help with the maintaining of possession against a City team who try and starve teams of the ball, while also providing a more effective counter attack.

Some of the tactics may need to be questioned with the long, direct ball clearly not working bar one mistake from the City defence, but that can be a decent plan if mixed in with a little more courage to take the ball down and get around the press.

It can happen and that extra quality will help, while I still believe Paul Pogba was a huge loss for the team and one that may have turned enough in our favour to get something from the game.

This season it is tough to get the ball down and play when you see some of the starters from Sunday, but I do hope the entire team plays with a little more belief in what they are doing the next time we meet City.

That might not be too long with both clubs progressing in the League Cup which reaches its Semi Final Round after the Quarter Finals are played next week. Both United and City also have decent Champions League draws and a chance to open up in the FA Cup with home wins so there is every chance we have to meet again to determine more silverware later in the campaign.

A bit more bravery and a better performance from set pieces and I think United will be closer, especially as City begin to rack up the games and the fatigue later in the season.

Some of that will depend on the title rivals getting closer than the 11 point gap which currently exists. I think United just have to do what Mourinho has been emphasising and that is take each fixture as it comes and see how it plays out.

Games against Bournemouth, West Brom, Leicester City, Burnley (twice), Southampton, Everton and Stoke City represent a good chance for Manchester United to get back on the horse and see where they stand when they head to Wembley Stadium to play Tottenham Hotspur at the end of January.

It is very much within the realms of possibility that United can win all 8 game League games in that time during which Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur and have to visit Liverpool and suddenly the gap may look more manageable.

I am clutching at straws somewhat, but we have seen United both reel in and blow big leads after Christmas in the last twenty years and I don't want to be handing any prizes to City just yet.

It was also nice to hear from Louis Van Gaal in the aftermath of the loss to Manchester City- a good time for the overrated Dutchman to try and stick the knife in.

Unfortunately the suggestion that his United team were the 'great entertainers' went down faster than a lead balloon, while the fact he thinks he has his 'best year' as manager, despite the money he was handed, is laughable.

One, I've never been as bored watching United as I was under LVG when goalless home draws were the absolute norm as he put spectators and his own players to sleep.

Two, best year? The last two years have shown how important it can be for teams to produce their best in the Premier League without European distractions. Both Leicester City and Chelsea have won the League without European commitments.

Louis Van Gaal took United to 4th and 17 points off the eventual winners Chelsea.

We also lost 4-0 at MK Dons in the League Cup and a home loss at Arsenal meant United ended up without silverware.

The next season the great LVG couldn't get United back into the top four.

Best year? He honestly must have been at the Christmas wine again.

And every day he should thank a broken fax machine for being the reason his only real legacy at Old Trafford would have been selling David De Gea to Real Madrid for Keyler Navas and a bag of crisps!

The fixtures will come thick and fast during the remainder of December with United playing twice a week and that could continue through January depending on whether we get through to the League Cup Semi Final and any potential FA Cup Replay.

It's a tough time but Pogba is back next week and the squad has the depth to cope with the fixtures. I am hoping United can kick on with the wins to really put the Manchester derby defeat behind us and I am sure there is enough character in the squad to do that.

There is plenty of football and silverware to be played for and Sunday is not going to hold back the team. United can't afford to slip up though with the top four chase looking like one that could go down to the wire, but I believe the boys will get back to winning ways on Wednesday and that will help build some momentum to take into the new calendar year.

Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (December 12-14)

The busy Christmas period is fast approaching for the sides in England with this being one last quiet week ahead of that time. Teams have a chance to prepare this week, but next week will see them open a stretch of three games in an eight day period and that recovery time and squad depth will be tested to the full.

Another weekend is in the books and this one also came with two big draws for the Euro 2016 Finals and the Knock Out Stages of the Champions League and Europa League which will commence in February.

Pressure Continues to Build on Louis Van Gaal

I have never been a fan of Louis Van Gaal and don't buy his previous 'successes' outside of his time at Ajax. When he first was expected to be the next manager of Manchester United I made a note of saying his best experiences as a manager came in the last century, but that we had to give him time to right what had been a disastrous time under David Moyes.

Any Manchester United fan had to know it would take time and Van Gaal had to be supported even if my personal opinion was that this was a manager who greatly overestimated his own achievements over the last fifteen years.

Van Gaal has had eighteen months and has spent a lot of money to mould the squad to his liking, but the football remains as uninspiring as ever and now the results are also beginning to suffer.

Being knocked out of the Champions League in a weak Group was a disaster, even if the money men at Old Trafford achieved their goals, and a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth has increased the pressure on a man that simply doesn't look like he knows the answers.

His substitutions are baffling and Van Gaal has killed any creativity that might have been in the squad. The team play like robots and to a set system, but the blood and thunder of the Premier League has exposed those limitations while Van Gaal has never quite understood that this is a unique League.

Not for quality, but the sheer fact that any team in this League is capable of beating any other on their day. And 'smaller' clubs are not financially constrained as they are in La Liga or the Bundesliga so they are more than capable of coming out and giving the 'big' clubs big problems.

Yes Manchester United are generally defensively sound even if the last week has been poor. But as an attacking threat they are very easy to negate at times and the lack of urgency or tempo, even when drawing or losing a game, is inexcusable and a poor reflection on the manager.

Van Gaal has continued to ignore the obvious problems- every interview bar one at Arsenal and one at Crystal Palace has spoken about the dominance Manchester United have had and the chances that most fans simply don't see.

And if David Moyes had spoken about United not being able to compete at the top level of the Champions League after he had spent a quarter of a billion pounds I honestly think he would have been lynched.

Outside of the fancy sounding foreign name, too many similarities with Moyes are beginning to worry me. The training is being criticised now, the conclusion that dominance of the ball is a good indication that a game is in control, and the outward expression that Manchester United are not able to compete and perhaps looking at other teams with envy are mistakes both managers have made.

Do I think it's time for Van Gaal to go? No, I think a snap judgement at this stage of the season would be a mistake as Manchester United are still in the top four. The idea that another banner will be flown over Old Trafford this Saturday is beyond a joke and highlights why some United fans are complete idiots.

However, failure to beat Norwich City followed by defeats at Stoke City and at home to Chelsea might start changing the opinion of not just myself, but the board at Manchester United too. Even if United do finish top four, I do think there has to be some evaluation of Van Gaal's position at the end of the season if the 'progress' and the 'philosophy' continue to show no sign of being a hit.

United can't afford to back this manager with another huge outlay of spending if that progress is not there and there are big options out there. Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti are the obvious names that might be available and I think there are some big decisions ahead for Ed Woodward and Manchester United.

Aston Villa Need the Greatest of Great Escapes

Appointing a manager who has had no experience of doing that in the Premier League looks to have blown up in Aston Villa's faces and I think it is going to take some miracle for this club to avoid the drop. After flirting with relegation for the last few years, Aston Villa might not have the time to be saved by the January transfer window as it is hard to see how they can entice anyone good enough to help them when in the position they are in.

Six points from sixteen Premier League games is an embarrassment to be frank and there is little to suggest that improves. Aston Villa have a huge game at Newcastle United on Saturday, a team that has won two in a row, and a defeat there effectively puts them down before Christmas Day as far as I am concerned.

This is a poor squad.

One that I would seriously worry about when going into the Championship and definitely not one I see challenging for an immediate return to the Premier League. In fact I would be more worried about the team 'doing a Wolves' and suffering back to back relegations down to League One!!

Defensively Aston Villa are a mess and they don't have enough goals in the side, while missing out on the huge increase of money being put into the Premier League next season is huge for this club.

So many mistakes have been made since Martin O'Neill left the club and it looks like the chickens are coming home to roost for Aston Villa.

Leicester City and Chelsea, What a Difference a Year Makes!

Go back to December 13th 2014.

Here is one club leading the Premier League table having earned 39/48 points and three points clear of the second placed team.

The other is bottom of the table with just 10 points earned and five adrift of safety.

The tables have really turned for Chelsea and Leicester City since with the roles reversed in one calendar year.

Ok, Chelsea are not bottom of the table, but how many would have predicted the reigning Champions would have lost nine times by this stage of the season and be down in 16th place with a point separating them from the bottom three? And how many would have doubled that up with Leicester City leading the Premier League heading towards Christmas?

Leicester City beat Chelsea on Monday Night Football to retake their place at the top of the pile and not many would argue they didn't deserve that. Even Jose Mourinho admitted his team didn't deserve anything less than what they got and the pressure has built on the Portuguese manager.

In fact there has been a board discussion about Mourinho's future in the wake of that defeat and his criticism of his squad and the feeling of 'betrayal' he has. There is even some suggestion that Mourinho won't make it to Christmas as manager of Chelsea and this is a club that looks like it is being ripped at the seams.

On the other hand Leicester City couldn't be closer together as Claudio Ranieri has continued what was a very good job to end the last campaign by Nigel Pearson. Ranieri hasn't changed too much, but he has given his players a new level of belief and Leicester City have to begin thinking about the top four now and a Champions League place.

Keeping hold of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy through January is key and Leicester City might even add a couple of players to increase squad depth. Some have suggested that might rock the boat a little with new characters being brought into the squad, but I think Ranieri has the personality to integrate new members for his squad and Leicester City might just be ready to have the best season in the club's history.

Euro 2016 Finals Draw

I don't think I have ever been truly convinced about the increase of the European Championships to twenty-four teams, but you can't help but be excited about a major international tournament to fill in the summer void we have every other season.

Maybe the Group Stages will be less exciting than in previous years with only eight of the twenty-four nations involved being knocked out at that Stage.

However, there are enough games to look forward to even that early in the tournament which will get the fans up for the event, mainly those involving the Home Nations.

England were inevitably going to be paired with one of the other Home Nations considering Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were in Pot 4. It was Wales who came out and I think both England and the Welsh have to be confident of getting out of their Group.

That isn't the case for Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland who both received daunting tasks. Even the additional four places offered to the best third placed sides might be beyond them, although I would give Northern Ireland half a chance to be able to get the results needed.

Martin O'Neill admitted he didn't enjoy the draw as the Republic of Ireland were placed in the 'Group of Death' alongside Italy, Belgium and Sweden, and they will do well to get anything out of that. At least Northern Ireland can look at Poland and Ukraine and perhaps think they are good enough to earn some kind of win from those games which could be enough to move into the Last 16.

I did also go through a quick breakdown of the draw and ended with Spain, Portugal, France and Germany as the final four with England going out at the Quarter Finals Stage. However, the tournament is still months away and will be re-evaluated closer to the time once injuries, form and other factors are considered.

Champions League and Europa League Knock Out Draws

It still grates that Manchester United are out of the Champions League, but it won't be a big surprise if two more English clubs exit at the Last 16 Stage after the draw was made on Monday.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea had their 'worst case' scenario come true as they were paired with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. It is hard to see either improving on their Last 16 showing from last season in those ties if everyone is fit going into those games in February and March.

Barcelona look the team to beat and PSG are earning more and more experience at this level while they looked superior to an in-form Chelsea last season, let alone a Chelsea team that is out of sync this time around.

Manchester City should be the most pleased as they drew Dynamo Kiev, a team Chelsea took four points off in the Group Stage, and I think City will progress fairly comfortably over two legs. This could be a huge moment in their European development getting into the Champions League Quarter Finals for the first time and Manchester City could be a dangerous team to face as the competition goes on.

Oh, and just to really rub in Manchester United's defeat, Wolfsburg managed to draw the weakest team in the Last 16 when they face Gent in the next Round.


Manchester United fans might not want to be in the Europa League, but this looks a competition that might produce some big games as the teams are whittled down. The draw to face Midtjylland over two legs in the Last 32 looks like one Manchester United should be able to progress from, although no one will take anything for granted after the failures in the Group Stage of the Champions League.

Both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur might be disappointed they didn't pick up an 'easier' tie than Augsburg and Fiorentina respectively after winning their Groups, but I would expect Jurgen Klopp's knowledge to help the former through.

Tottenham Hotspur might have been beaten by Fiorentina last season at the same Stage, but having the home fixture second is important and they might be able to reverse that result. However, that looks a tough tie for a Spurs team that is also battling in the Premier League for a top four spot.

There are other big ties to look forward to in this Round: Borussia Dortmund v Porto; Villarreal v Napoli; Shakhtar Donetsk v Schalke; Galatasaray v Lazio; Sporting Lisbon v Bayer Leverkusen; Marseille v Athletic Bilbao.

Those show the strength left in the Europa League and the potential for some huge matches later in the tournament.

United Corner- 5 Ways Louis Van Gaal's Fortunes have Improved at Old Trafford (April 9th 2015)

United Corner- 5 Ways Louis Van Gaal's Fortunes have Improved at Old Trafford (April 9th 2015)

I know there was a lot of excitement about the appointment of Louis Van Gaal in the summer, although I can still state that I was not one of those getting overly-giddy. The strong performance of the Netherlands at the World Cup only increased the expectation, but I have at least maintained what I expected from Manchester United this season.

There was never a moment that I felt Manchester United were as bad as they showed last season under David Moyes, but a poor run of form meant the top four was far from assured. Back in December, I was convinced Manchester United were well on their way to a Champions League spot, but they allowed the challengers to get close as the March fixtures approached.

Louis Van Gaal was beginning to have more questions asked about himself, while games against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool increased in difficulty after the defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup Sixth Round.

I don’t think many would argue with me that the side have produced their two best performances in those games as Manchester United won both and now look in a strong position to finish in the top four once again. There are still some big fixtures to come, but these five issues look to have turned the Manchester United season and also the Louis Van Gaal fortunes.

Robin Van Persie’s Injury

You might not have heard many people say this a couple of years ago, but Robin Van Persie’s injury seems to have come at the right time for Louis Van Gaal.

There seemed to be a real loyalty towards his fellow Dutchman despite some below par performances and while the focus may have been on Radamel Falcao’s struggles, Van Persie had hardly been setting the world alight.

Van Persie is very much a striker that thrives on the service he is given, but a lack of energy in some performances made that difficult.

His injury meant Louis Van Gaal turned back to Wayne Rooney to lead the line and the energy and work-rate provided by the English striker has really given the midfield someone to aim for. The bigger impact may be the fact that Rooney moving out of midfield meant there was room for other players.

Getting Ander Herrera and Juan Mata integrated into the team

Other players like Ander Herrera and latterly Juan Mata.

Ander Herrera has really been the player that the fans have wanted to see with his performances always being good to watch and also the fact he provides goals from the midfield. It was something of a surprise that Van Gaal seemed to continue to overlook the Spaniard, but Rooney moving out of midfield made space for Herrera and he has blossomed in recent weeks.

Herrera himself has said he hadn’t taken on board all that Van Gaal had wanted from him earlier in the season but his understanding with Juan Mata has really sparked some creativity from the midfield.

Juan Mata is a top player and one I admire massively, but he looked a little lost in the mix at Old Trafford until returning in the Tottenham Hotspur game. The suspension of Angel Di Maria turned out to be a blessing in disguise and Mata has responded in the manner the fans would expect, while giving Manchester United more of a forward thinking player and added creativity and goals in the starting eleven.

Removing the Confusing Back Three Formation

This has happened for a while, but the Manchester United team do look more comfortable in their roles with a back four rather than the wing back system that they had used for a while.

Some of the mistakes that were being made have been cut out at the same time and there does seem to be more cohesiveness between the centre halves which has also seen the team pick up more clean sheets.

David De Gea’s Continuing Form

Forget the mistake that David De Gea made at the weekend against Aston Villa, the continuing strong form he is showing behind the back four is inspiring further confidence.

Unfortunately it might also mean there are more admiring glances being given to De Gea from Real Madrid, but for this season it could be enough to see Manchester United finish in the top four.

There have been rumours that Van Gaal and De Gea don’t see eye to eye on things, but the former has to be thankful to the latter in keeping United moving forward.

Removing the Fear

A big key to the improved performances has been the attitude of the players and I have to give Louis Van Gaal the biggest credit for this.

There seems to be a much more positive approach to games and Manchester United don’t look nervous these days compared with the difficult time they had at the turn of the calendar year.

The ‘philosophy’ has finally been bought into by the players and the likes of Ander Herrera and Juan Mata are very keen to get the play moving forward which is a far cry from the days where the midfield seemed much keener to play with their back to the opposition goal.

Getting the best out of Marouane Fellaini is another credit that has to be given to Louis Van Gaal and there is now a real confidence going into the second Manchester derby of the season.

United Corner- Why Louis Van Gaal should NOT be compared with David Moyes (January 14th)

United Corner- Why Louis Van Gaal should NOT be compared with David Moyes (January 2015)





You can just imagine the writer sitting in a darkened office as he put together the statistics and results that would need to occur in the coming weeks before he could present the statement to Louis Van Gaal in a press conference.

'Manchester United have the same number of points after the same number of games as David Moyes did twelve months ago AND with one fewer goal to boot'.

One of the least surprising moments of the season saw Louis Van Gaal give the statement short shrift and I have to agree with the Dutchman on this occasion.

So why do I think it's a wind up attempt to compare this season to last?


For starters I am pretty sure the journalist who presented that statement to Van Gaal failed to mention that Manchester United had already been knocked out of the FA Cup thanks to a surprising 1-2 home defeat against Swansea in the Third Round, while they were days away from exiting the League Cup in the Semi Final stage on a penalty shoot-out against Sunderland.

Or the fact that Manchester United had moved up to 7th in the Premier League table and were 4 points behind the top four with things to get worse in the coming weeks.

United were going to go on and win 1 of their next 5 League games and lose 2 of the next 3 games at Chelsea and Stoke City while also failing to beat Fulham, who would later be relegated, at Old Trafford in that most frustrating of 2-2 draws. That run of games would leave Manchester United 11 points behind Liverpool in 4th place and I would be surprised if Louis Van Gaal sees his side pick up just 5 points from their next five games against Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, West Ham United, Burnley and Swansea.

Yes, some will point out that Manchester United were still in the Champions League, but that is hardly going to be something Louis Van Gaal can be blamed for as that was the fate left to him by his predecessor.


A lot of journalists have also been making a note of the money that Louis Van Gaal has spent in turning around the fortunes of Manchester United without it reflecting on the points differential from twelve months ago. One of the main 'spokesmen' for this kind of thinking is Richard Keys, someone who happens to be close to David Moyes, who has 'tweeted' out the lack of funds that the previous manager had been afforded compared with Van Gaal.

That seems to ignore the almost £80 million that Moyes spent on Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata only to play the diminutive Spaniard on the right or left wing in a 4-4-2 formation that clearly wasn't the right position for him which was quickly identified by Van Gaal when he walked through the doors at Old Trafford.

David Moyes was also seemingly not confident enough to make the necessary changes to shape the squad to his liking- it has been stated in the last few days that Moyes wanted to try and employ Wayne Rooney in midfield, but was worried about what people would think and write, while he didn't want to make the changes to squad he felt was needed in case he was accused of breaking up a title winning squad.

That lack of belief was never going to cut it at Manchester United and Louis Van Gaal is clearly unconcerned about what people think of him- some of the older, experienced figures left in the summer, while I don't know too many fans that would have been that disappointed with the likes of Tom Cleverley, Nani, Alexander Buttner and Bebe being moved on. I liked Danny Welbeck but can understand why he was allowed to leave, although perhaps not to a rival like Arsenal, while I wasn't joining the twitterati who seemed to love Shinji Kagawa as I just didn't think he was good enough.

Unlike Moyes, Louis Van Gaal couldn't care less what people think in the media and what they are going to write about him because his 'philosophy' overrules everything. And upsetting players with huge egos is just part of the issue when it comes to shaping the team into performing to the level he expects.


Philosophy is the word that has been dominant in the press conferences throughout the season and is another marked difference from what David Moyes was doing in his last year. No longer are Manchester United 'going to make it difficult' for visitors like Newcastle United and Everton but now this is a team that goes out expecting to win those games at Old Trafford.

The 2-2 draw against Fulham that I already mentioned was mind boggling with the amount of crosses United threw in that game with almost no other idea as to how to break down that team. It was clearly not a tactic that was working, but Moyes persisted with it to the point of complete frustration for the fans and the players and there didn't seem to be a clear plan in place for Manchester United to win games.

You can't say that about Louis Van Gaal's Manchester United with the manager not afraid to change the system when things were not going right, most recently in the game at Yeovil Town in the FA Cup Third Round. Van Gaal expects his teams to play in a certain manner, but he is unafraid to ruffle a few feathers if it means getting the rest of the troops on board with his way of thinking and the change in formation and style of play shows a manager willing to get the best out of what he has and implement his changes during training sessions through the season.


The willingness to change when things are not happening in the manner expected and the overall style of football is also of complete contrast to last season. Visiting Old Trafford was something of a crap shoot for fans under David Moyes in terms of results, but it was also the frustrating football that showed little sign of what the manager intended to do to improve things going forward which saw him lose much of the support of the fans.

Those in the ground generally stuck by Moyes as far as possible, but there won't have been too many that would have been disappointed to see him go.

On the other hand, games at Old Trafford in particular have been very positive for the fans for the most part- there is clearly signs that Manchester United are once again making the ground something of a fortress and the performances have generally been impressive at this stadium bar the losses to Swansea and Southampton.

Some have pointed to the poor defensive displays, but that was to be expected after the changes that Van Gaal has implemented and is an obvious point of investment over the coming calendar year. There have been two defeats at home this season, but United lost four times at Old Trafford by this point last season and that includes those defeats to Everton and Newcastle United when Moyes had put that element of doubt into his own players minds before those games kicked off.


It can't be denied that the general feeling for Manchester United fans is much more positive than it was under David Moyes and there aren't the glaring split between supporters that weren't convinced the former Everton manager was good enough for the top job at Old Trafford. Louis Van Gaal's reputation is affording him more time, but I can't be unhappy about that because this is a transitional point of this club's history as the Dutchman shapes the squad to his liking.

Finishing in the top four was the main goal for this season and Van Gaal is still very much in line to achieve that and most of the media won't mention the fact that most supporters would have been happy with that from David Moyes last season.

The difference was of course the gap between United and the top four at this point and after the next five games in the 2013/14 season while the other major factor was that the side did not once finish a round of Premier League games inside the top four after the second League game under Moyes.

That made his tenure in charge that much harder to support and helped split the fans into two camps even if a lot of credit has to be given to match going Reds for sticking with Moyes to the bitter end.

At least under Louis Van Gaal, Manchester United have been playing well enough that some were even hoping for a title challenge over the next five months. That means they are in a much better position to finish in the Champions League spots which remains the minimum aim with the squad at Van Gaal's disposal.


So while I do think the question put to Louis Van Gaal was ridiculous and the subsequent 'experts' following on from that to give it more legs is nothing more than filling gaps in a quiet week, I also think fans have the right to question some of Van Gaal's decisions.

The loss to Southampton was as much to do with poor tactical decisions as it was to do with Southampton's solid defensive shape- I won't understand playing someone like Angel Di Maria up front with his back to goal where he is probably at his least dangerous, and the substitutions didn't help United pick up any kind of tempo.

Radamel Falcao's omission was a real surprise considering I have felt he was rounding into form and deserved his place ahead of Robin Van Persie who is becoming more and more a player that can produce a good finish from time to time but offering little else as the main target man.

I am not buying the media stories about Falcao being that unhappy, especially as he could be in line to have a run in the team in the absence of Van Persie who suffered an ankle injury against Southampton. I'm sure I wasn't the only one surprised by James Wilson being in the squad ahead of Falcao, but I was happy to hear that the obvious failings in the squad, namely a lack of speed, have been seen by Van Gaal and that inspires confidence that he will get the team going in the right direction.

That 'plan' is far better than what we had seen from Moyes, although I have to admit I was looking forward to his attempts to bring in Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos. The difference again has come from the manner in which each manager carried themselves and the Van Gaal 'arrogance' is sometimes needed at a club of this size and I am not sure Moyes was ever going to understand that.

The next five games in the Premier League are going to make things a lot clearer as to what Manchester United can achieve this season, but I am utterly convinced United will have more than the 42 points they had in February 2014 under Moyes.

It will be good to see if the journalist bringing in the statement about Moyes which annoyed Van Gaal as much as it did will have the statistics to hand following the trip to the Liberty Stadium next month.

United Corner- It Just Wasn't Meant to be for David Moyes (April 25th 2014)

United Corner- It Just Wasn't Meant to be for David Moyes (April 25th 2014)








The David Moyes era at Old Trafford was officially brought to a close just ten months after he first walked through the door as Manchester United manager and it seems the over-riding feeling is of joy from the majority of the fans.

That is an understandable reaction considering the fall from grace made by United during the course of the season as they failed to really make a concerted effort to retain the Premier League title they won by eleven points last season.

Even with that in mind, I wasn't one of these 'experts' that had tipped Manchester United to challenge for the League title simply because of the margin they won the League by the year before- it was clear to most match-going Reds that the squad did need some big improvements, but that was the first failure made by the club under Moyes last summer.

While I expected United to slip off the top of the table, the belief at the start of the season was that there would be enough to see the side finish in the top four, so being a position where even that aim is unachievable with four games left to play was never going to be acceptable. However, I still believed that the manager needed to be given a chance and I was always prepared, no matter what happened this season, to give him two full seasons before I made a judgement on him.


There have been mistakes made by Moyes and he almost admitted to some of those with his statement offering the line that he 'is always learning' from the experiences. That was never going to cut it at Manchester United where the manager needed to have more faith in his own ability to do the job and it does make me wonder if Moyes ever really got to grip with what was required.

He wasn't helped last summer with a bumbling approach to the transfer market that would have been better overseen by Alan Partridge- the fact that Ed Woodward has shifted the focus on his own mistakes by using Moyes as a fall guy is embarrassing, particularly with the leak of the sacking on Easter Monday likely to have come from the new Chief Executive in all but name.

Signing Marouane Fellaini was under-whelming considering some of the names that Manchester United were linked with, while the fee was a disaster considering the Belgian midfielder could have been purchased earlier in the window for four million less than eventually agreed with Everton.


David Moyes also made the mistake of being a touch critical of a squad that had won the League the moment he walked into the club with some of the statements made about the standard bound to rub players up the wrong way. That was exasperated by the training methods that hadn't sit well with the squad and it was clear he had lost the support of key players as soon as Rio Ferdinand took to Twitter with 'veiled' digs at the manager.


His backing of Wayne Rooney, which some fans would have agreed with, seems to have been far too over the top where the striker was dictating potential transfer targets and having an increasing influence on Moyes. That was a stark contrast to how Sir Alex Ferguson dismissed Rooney's suggestions to buy Mesut Ozil in 2010 and lost Moyes the command of the dressing room, a big no no when dealing with the egos of a title winning squad that United possess.


The worst aspect of the manager reign was the post-match, pre-match interviews of a manager that seemingly forgot he was managing one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Repeated talk of 'playing well' and being 'unlucky' grated on some fans when it was clear we were not watching the same game, but using words like 'hope' before a home game against Newcastle United had everyone scratching their heads and wondering if Mike Ashley had signed the Bayern Munich starting eleven in the days leading up to the game without anyone noticing.

And any suggestion of Manchester United being an 'underdog' when Liverpool were visiting Old Trafford didn't exactly set the fire burning in a terrible performance on the pitch. Another home loss where Moyes pointed to Manchester City, not United, being the benchmark of the standard required in the Premier League was just bothersome in the meek way United surrendered on the pitch.


The fatal error from Moyes, even accounting for all those above, was the lack of a cohesive playing style that the fans could relate to- I am convinced that he would have been given time if United had been playing a swash-buckling style where they didn't simply run out of ideas the second they fell behind in a match. David Moyes was at his most comfortable when the fans accepted the tactics employed against Bayern Munich to try and contain the reigning European Champions, but those defensive schemes in games against West Brom, Fulham and Stoke City were never going to be good enough.

Buying Juan Mata looked a very good move, but playing him out of position was a travesty and the lack of a clear tactical plan may have been the downfall for the manager. Moyes has been accused of being too cautious and perhaps being in charge of a team like Everton, where finishing in the top seven every season was a success, is more in line with how he wants to approach games.

Manchester United expect to beat the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City... David Moyes just didn't want to lose those matches.


All of this may seem that I am being critical of a manager that I said I would give a chance to for at least a couple of seasons before I made my opinion on him- I still would have given the man another transfer window and evaluated the success in six months time.

This isn't out of blind-faith or because I want to show off 'Top Red' status, but simply because I believe the job at Manchester United was not going to be one that could be settled into immediately.

Moyes had been identifying the weaknesses in the squad and was being linked with the right players to start making the changes he wished to see. The midfield was quickly seen as the area he wanted to improve, although I do wish he hadn't panicked and bought Fellaini without really considering what he wanted to do with him.

Luke Shaw seems to have been persuaded to join United over his favourite club Chelsea and Moyes apparently had a scouting system in place that had impressed some of the big-wigs at the club.

Manchester United had been getting linked to some of the talent required in the areas they are needed which suggests that Moyes had an idea of what had to be done to change our fortunes on the field, but all the sub-standard performances and losing support in the board room and the dressing room ended any chance of extending his time in charge.


At the end of the day, United have to be comfortable with the manager they are willing to back heavily in the transfer market as I simply don't believe the owners are going to be investing in too many big windows into the club judging by past performance. That means the investment has to be right and the club have to be sure which manager gets the chance to do that.

I respect that, but I don't respect the way the owners and Ed Woodward in particular decided to go about their dispensing of Moyes- for all the mistakes that the manager had made, and for all those who don't believe that he was the right man for the top job, Moyes seems to be a nice enough guy that deserved to be treated with dignity and respect.

Those two elements were the last things afforded to him with the rumours about his demise spreading through Easter Monday and United's denials that they were in the process of removing him at that point is an outright lie. Fanzines like Red Issue and Red News have both been making it clear for weeks that there was a big change in feeling towards Moyes and suggestions that he was going to be leaving definitely came from within the club to the journalists after the loss at Everton.


As despicable and slimy as the likes of Woodward and the Glazers are, the players also should not be afforded the luxury of hiding behind the Moyes dismissal. Despite what they thought of the manager, their lacklustre displays in defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool is just as unforgivable as anything Moyes did and many of them should not be wearing the shirt for United again.

Moyes is certainly not going to be forgiving those players if his statement thanking everyone but noticeably ignoring the players is anything to go by and I don't blame him. For all the tactics and complaints about the way Moyes prepared for games, I have utter disdain for the way some of the players conducted themselves on and off the field.


So where do United go from here? I am not at all convinced with the idea of the 'Class of 92' taking over in a committee role, but that doesn't look a long-term plan with the job being linked to some of the bigger names in football.

Louis Van Gaal looks the obvious choice and while I have never been his biggest fan, the idea of someone with the discipline to come in and shape that squad and a man with the strength of character he has is very appealing. He has plenty of trophies behind his name, but the majority of those have come in the last century and that is the main reason I am not bouncing off the walls in anticipation of his arrival.

Personally I would look to Carlo Ancelotti, although trying to get him out of the Spanish capital might be nigh on impossible if he leads Real Madrid to the Champions League success they have craved for over a decade.

Even if it is Van Gaal, a manager I don't have a lot of time for, he needs to be given the chance to build the squad to his satisfaction and that means not being in this same position in twelve months time. If Manchester United are out of the top four again, the pressure will be on the owners who haven't accounted for the club being out of the European elite for too many years, but Van Gaal, or whoever is allowed to spend the money being spoken about, should be allowed to make the necessary changes that may not produce results for a couple of seasons.

Patience might have to be the key for the supporters, but I have faith they will have that with the match-going Reds who were behind Moyes until the very end. That should make it easier for the new manager, especially if they employ an attacking style that shows signs of the improvement that fans were looking for from the Moyes team selections as each week passed by.


Ten months is not enough time to really have a positive impact on a club and that is sadly going to be David Moyes' legacy at Old Trafford when we look back on his time at the club. There just won't be anything that people will look back on and remember was set in place by Moyes and I do feel sorry for him that he wasn't given a full chance.

He can also take some of the blame for that as he lost the dressing room and the performances highlighted that- it also showed a team that might not be willing to learn under Moyes and that was always going to shorten his time at Old Trafford.

For years it has been said that the Manchester United job would be a great one for the manager following the manager that replaced Sir Alex Ferguson.

The first part of that statement has come true with David Moyes being the victim, but it remains to be seen if the new manager, whoever that is, can really get the team back on track as soon as the fans would like it to be.