Manchester United vs. Liverpool: Chicharito relieves pressure as Moyes warns of trouble ahead

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez celebrates scoring their first goal during the Capital Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on September 25, 2013 in Manchester, England.  (Getty Images)
David Moyes issues instructions during the Capital One Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on September 25, 2013 in Manchester, England.  (Getty Images)

David Moyes issues instructions during the Capital One Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on September 25, 2013 in Manchester, England. (Getty Images)

“Where we’ve got work to do is bring players in to go right into the team – that’s the slightly different equation,” said the 50-year-old on Tuesday.

“We needed one or two who might have just gone in, but that will happen. We always said it was going to be a tough one and it was going to take a little bit more time.

“Not for a minute did I think this job was going to be easy. There will be days like we had on Sunday and there might be more of them because we are in a period where there will be transition. If people thought this was going to be easy and smooth after Sir Alex, I don’t think that was ever going to be the case.”

Admirable honesty one might say, although not entirely a mea culpa of course. Ed Woodward’s ability to navigate the January transfer market might be tested once again. And it might define a campaign more than the new manager would ever have liked.

It is the nature of transition fascinates, with the principle change in the opening months of Moyes’s regime appearing to be an odd conservative bent. One demonstrated again on Wednesday, with Moyes swapping goalscorer Javier Hernández for midfielder Michael Carrick with 15 minutes to go. It could so easily have backfired.

Yet, with United’s “toughest start for 20 years” now out of the way the real work starts. Moyes ability to use his squad is key. Indeed, the fatigue demonstrated by Messrs. Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidi? and Patrice Evra on Sunday ensures more time for Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in the weeks to come.

Whether Moyes can integrate creative players, including Kagawa and Nani, will be tested as the Champions League bites into United’s schedule. While the short-term futures of Wilfried Zaha and the prodigiously talented Adnan Januzaj will beguile many. The Belgian featured as a late substitute at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Zaha didn’t leave the bench.

The suggestion that the Scot does not always trust creative players will persist until the more inventive among his squad are used in more challenging games.

Still, there can be no doubt of the relief ringing around Old Trafford by the end – a buoyant crowd pushing the home side over the line. More excitement for a League Cup third round time than for many a year. And much of it had little to do with the competition or even opponents at play.

It is, perhaps, a realisation that after 25 years, United’s face is human again. Moyes seemingly knows it, although the brass undercarriage demonstrated on Wednesday night augurs well for future moments of pressure, at least. There are likely to be many.

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