And so, after a little over ten months, one of English football’s most tortured managerial reigns has come to an end. Don’t act so shocked.
Many a United fan will argue that Moyes was in the job for far too long, after a debut season which continually lurched from one disaster to the next, as us fans rode the wave of despair from misery, to anger, and finally to apathy.
As a United supporter, I have grown accustomed to perpetual success. Indeed, United’s song ‘Glory, Glory Man United’ often sounded like a set of demands rather than an anthem of encouragement. Therefore, this season has been a slap to the face as we have plumbed the depths of mediocrity and, despite several false dawns, we have not been able to rise again. It seems I was as unprepared for this struggle as my club were.
Was today’s decision the correct one? In my opinion, probably yes, although the handling of the situation, like Danny Welbeck’s finishing, left a lot to be desired. In spite of many friends regularly calling for the Scot’s head, I was always willing to support the man to see how things panned out. However, each defeat eroded my faith in the man dubbed ‘The Chosen One’, to the point where, although I was happy to back Moyes, I am not too sad to see him go. My opinion is as neutral and passive as United’s midfield.
Most of United’s fans probably feel the same way. An impatient minority will always sound the alarm at the first sign of trouble, but the majority were happy to ride out the storm, hoping – wrongly – that things would get better.
The 2-1 defeat to Swansea in this year’s F.A Cup was a strange experience for me. Years of going to Old Trafford and seeing routine home wins quickly became a memory as we were utterly incapable of breaking down an – with all due respect – average team. In a sadistic way, I almost enjoyed the misery of the occasion, joining in the defiant singing in support of our beleagured manager. The tune ‘Come on David Moyes’ was at first meant to show support, solidarity and faith, but by the end it sounded more like an expasperated command, in the tone one might give to a badly-behaved toddler.
Begrudgingly, I can accept the reasons why fans of other clubs call United fans ‘glory hunters’. Here was our chance to prove otherwise, by sticking by our team – and manager – through the bad times, as we did through the bad. I think we failed that test. For too many of us, perhaps myself included, we hunt glory like Wayne Rooney hunts a pay rise. We need it, we crave it, and more often that not, we get it.
However, clichéd as it is, football is a results business, with the word ‘business’ particularly important. This is not 1986, where United stood by Sir Alex Ferguson and ‘Europe’ were Number One with ‘The Final Countdown’. It seems here that, despite a strong showing in Europe, the countdown has finally reached its end for Mr Moyes.
Why? Well, like it or not, the penalty – on and off the pitch – for a bad season is far more severe than it used to be due to the vast increase of money in the game. United probably wanted to stick with Moyes, for reasons of faith, honour and continuity, but had to assess whether this disastrous season would be a blip or a sign of things to come under this manager. Rightly or wrongly, those in charge at Old Trafford decided that something had to change.
So, what now for United? A successor will have to be chosen, and one suspects that the process will not be as clear-cut as the previous succession plan seemed to be. Unlike last time, Ferguson is unlikely to have a stay in picking the new man in English football’s hottest seat.
Louis van Gaal looks like the favourite, and unlike Moyes, he has vast experience of success and running the game’s biggest clubs. He may also make Robin van Persie look like a man who actually WANTS TO BE THERE! Jurgen Klopp has been sounded out as another potential replacement, having as he does the tactical acumen to turn things around, and just the right amount of insanity to deal with the crazy world of Manchester United. However, these are questions to be answered on another day.
Whether this is blind faith or not remains to be seen, but United are too big to remain in the doldrums for too long. 2013/14 is likely to go down as one of our worst ever seasons, but I do not believe it will become a pattern. Maybe. Probably. Oh please don’t let it, this year has been punishment enough.
David Moyes can feel hard done by and, despite the stinging criticism from the average fan and on social media (to which we, sadly, contribute!), there will come a growing sympathy for his situation. £4.5 million in compensation should soften the blow, but the Scotsman’s future is unclear. In the short-term, so is United’s future. In the long-run – which the club often insists is the name of the game – we will be just fine. I think. I hope.
2 Comments
