Succeeding Fergie: A tactical outlook

Inspite of Moyes’s Champions League inexperience, which is a major cause for concern among United fans, his knack of nullifying opposition strengths could prove to be the making of United in the knockout stages. Arguments can be made pointing out Everton’s ineffectual European campaigns, but with Everton, Moyes never had the kind of squad depth required to compete on multiple fronts. With United, he’ll have all that and more. And inexperience can be overcome, as Jurgen Klopp so enigmatically proved with Dortmund.

At the same time, I can see United struggling in the Champions League group stages and finding life difficult in the Premier League as well. Responding to opposition tactics will not be good enough any more; Moyes will have to be more inventive and efficient, especially against the smaller teams. Moyes’s desire to work with his own backroom staff is understandable, but he may have been better off keeping coaches Mike Phelan and Eric Steele on the books as well as they could have played a vital role in easing his transition into the United managerial role. Rene Meulensteen, United’s first team coach last season, however, is still with the club. Whether he stays is another matter all together as he, along with Mike Phelan, has been linked with the managerial vacancy at Wigan.

This is where United’s senior players have a very important part to play. The ruthlessness required to put the smaller teams to bed, the mentality of champions – winning when you’re not at your best – has been imbibed in them under Ferguson’s tutelage. They have a responsibility (hear, hear Wayne Rooney) to take some of the inevitable pressure off Moyes’ s shoulders.

David Moyes is a smart man. There’s nothing to suggest that he won’t be able to modify and add to his approach, and plenty to suggest that he can. It is time for him to step up and show his mettle, and he has the perfect foundation – Fergie’s stamp of approval.