Manchester United: Patience could be a virtue with David Moyes

David Moyes – Will he get the time he deserves?

For a Manchester United fan, this season is one like no other. It is a journey into the unknown. Personally I was under no misconception, that status quo would be maintained and we would continue to dominate the league and carry on putting opposition to the sword. I hoped it. But it would have been naïve to have expected it. In fact, in recent seasons even though our results have been top drawer, the football we have been playing have not really set the world alight.

In fact our performances have left a fair bit to be desired. Needless to say the league campaign so far has been rocky to say the least. However, we have fared better in both the League Cup and the Champions’ League so far.

I unlike most people do not mind my team having a bad season. The prospect does not phase me. I realize that what Sir Alex achieved with this team in the past two decades, is an anomaly. Sport does not work like this and very rarely does a team experience such a period of relentless success. As a result, I am extremely grateful. I fell in love with United, not because of the number of trophies they won, but because of its tradition and the exhilarating tempo at which the team played.

It was enough to satiate my needs. The success and the trophies were a by-product of the attractive football. It was not the reason why I followed United. It obviously brought me great joy and I realized just how fortunate I was to support such a team.

But, I did not have any qualms with constructive criticism directed towards management, as long as it was reasonable, but I refrained from such condemnation. As I have already mentioned since the magnitude of our success, is such a statistical abnormality, it meant I gave Sir Alex the latitude to avoid criticism each time he did err.

I do not think there’s anything wrong with that. I could see various failings and shortcomings within the team’s squad in recent seasons which the manager refused to address. Nor did I fully appreciate his constant support of the Glazers.

But the man after everything he had given to the club, in my eyes, was above reproach. So I had made it a point to not question the manner in he run the club. He deserved that much. He also asked us to stick by the incoming manager; to back him even when through testing periods. So I knew that come what may, the next manager was going to receive my support whole heartedly.

But the #moyesout nonsense started. I expected the United faithful to be more patient and realistic, but I guess the modern fans are all of the same ilk. They expect positive results from the get go, and any drop in performance is just not acceptable. While I detest these sort of unnecessary over reactions, I understand where the criticism stems from. It is like saying that society’s lack of patience is something one can overcome.

I have taken a more measured approach, and regardless of how poorly we perform, want to give Moyes up till next season to see if he is cut out for the job. Then we can truly ascertain if his appointment was a gaffe or not.

I am sure Moyes must have expected this level of scrutiny. After all, he was chosen as the successor to the greatest manager of all time. It would have been foolhardy of him anticipate anything else.

Will the new Manchester United rise up?

He has had a difficult start. No doubt about it. The players need to shoulder some of the responsibility, but at the end of the day the results are always accredited to the manager. His reign itself got off to the most inauspicious of beginnings in the summer itself.

He along with that bungling fool Ed Woodward made a meal of our transfer dealings. They went about their business in a very un-United manner. We publicly chased several players, which has never exactly been our style. Prior to this, we preferred to go about our dealings privately and quickly. This summer, we ended up being laughing stock across all of Europe while the rest of our rivals went about their business strengthening their respective squads.

His initial teams selections seemed to lean on the side of caution and a continual persistence with guys like an out of sorts Antonio Valencia, Anderson and a vastly over paid waste of space in Ashley Young caused me a certain degree of irritation.

We got slaughtered by City and Moyes’ comments about the squad’s capabilities or lack thereof are statements that genuinely bothered me. The ability to protect one’s players was a craft that Sir Alex had perfected. His comments could not have had a positive impact on the team’s morale. That’s for sure.

In general, our play has seemed insipid and we seem to lack the quality to unlock defences. But the most telling change this season and in retrospect it seems like a natural consequence, that we seemed to have lost the intimidation factor without Sir Alex in the dugout. Teams now seem to consider us more fallible and seem to genuinely believe that they have a chance to upset us. It means that their approach has changed and we need to somehow start asserting ourselves against inferior opposition.

What is probably equally disconcerting is the fact that, due to some intangible reason and that is in all probability the ‘Fergie Factor’, we appear to have lost our ‘boune-backability’: that resolute nay steely determination to snatch victories in dire circumstances.

Our play is so laborious that breaking down opposition, especially when are back are up against the proverbial wall looks bleak. Moreover, we have been prone to lapses in concentration in defense and coupled with no potency up front means opposition in a league like the Premier League have been able to capitalize on our shortcomings.

That does not mean that Moyes has done nothing right. It was only natural for the team to take some time in adjusting to a new philosophy under the Scotsman. He is, after all having to take over from a man who ruled the roost for over a quarter of century. Thus, a slight drop in performances and results was not difficult to conceive.

But Moyes has of course done commendably in getting Wayne Rooney back to his best. He handled the situation perfectly and convinced the want-away forward from leaving. Not only that, he has given Rooney the confidence by playing him in his favoured position up front. Rooney has repaid that faith and has been arguably our best player and has been one of a handful of players who have actually turned up. His performances of late have been reminiscent of the Rooney of old filled with pace, power and tenacity that used to galvanise the team many a time.

Not only that, he has been incredibly brave to thrust young Adnan Januzaj into the big time. He has been willing to take a gamble on the young attacker who has looked bright enough, and was even able to persuade the youngster to sign on to a new 5 year deal. That enabled a lot of us supporters to breathe a huge sigh of relief as the situation was dangerously close to ‘Pogba’ territory.

He has slowly started giving the likes of Evans and Jones a look at the heart of defence realising that they are in fact this club’s future. Dislodging the experienced pairing Ferdinand and Vidic is a difficult call, but at least it is heartening to see the manager prepared to take a risk with youngsters. Such necessary gambles have to be taken and it is heartening to see that Moyes is slowly taking these difficult decisions.

Finally, at the time of his appointment the biggest concern was his lack of experience at the European Cup level. For all our inadequacies in the league, we have looked assured in Europe which was typified by our display in midweek against Sociedad. We are top of a group, that has been deemed to be one of our toughest assignments in numerous seasons, and are just a win away from qualification. I would say that is a nice answer to the detractors.

We must realize that the performances and the goals will come. It is just a case of the team just requiring some time to adapt to the Moyes regime. We may not win the league, but considering how much success we have experience I think this one time that is okay. But as long as Moyes can get this team to start playing well again I shall be happy. We cannot take the Roman Abrahmovic/ Florentino Perez route and start sacking managers after every bad period. That sort of approach is a dangerous road to take.

Plus, with Moyes and his Everton teams we know they were always a lot better as the season progressed. I fully expect Moyes to take his time and turn this thing around and we shall really see him take off next season. This is a season of transition like no other and the results are ancillary to the stability that this club strives for. As long, as that is somehow retained the positive results that we want will not be far away.

I sincerely hope that by the time the team adjusts to Moyes, we are still in with a shout. But make no mistake about, right or wrong we must back the manager. It is imperative that he succeeds and maintains the stability in the club as that is the route that guarantees a semblance of a chance for us to succeed. If our managerial post becomes like a carousel then we could be in for a lean period in the post Fergie era.