The falling fortunes of Moyes and Manchester United

Never in recent memory have I seen a steady flow of spectators turning their back on their team at Old Trafford well before the final whistle, or for that matter, never in recent memory, have I seen hope and happiness turning into despair and gloom for United fans.

It is fast becoming a common sight to watch television pundits bemoaning the lack of creativity and penetration in this current side. Headlines such as ‘The end of times is fast approaching,’ ‘The empire is crumbling’ are fast becoming a constant feature in the back pages of all major papers.

Nevertheless, Moyes will be the first person to accept that it is his responsibility to make sure that the team performs and delivers. Being the decent manger that he is, he has so far shied away from blaming his players, unlike AVB at Spurs. But can he escape scrutiny just because he is decent? No.

Accusations of him making United’s play so insipid are laid bare and plain. It is certainly obvious that the usual swagger and drive of the old Red Devils is missing. Why then should he be given more time? Because six months is not a lifetime (though it seems) and United are not Sunderland.

He knows he has the players who can turn the game on its head but he also knows there are only few of them. The midfield is crying out for a master tactician and a anchor man. Michael Carrick can’t shoulder the burden all on himself. The wing play which United has always employed needs more than Young, Nani and Valencia.

While it is somewhat plausible to accept Moyes’s defence; “the club is currently under transition”, the same cannot be said for the Manchester United Board and its Chief Executive Edward Woodward. They knew that the squad needed to be strengthened and reinforced, but they chose not to do.

Critics might argue that this is almost the same side that ran away with the league crown least season, albeit the acquisition of Marounne Fellaini. But what they may have forgotten is that David Moyes is no Sir Alex Ferguson. It is as simple as that.

Moyes came with a baggage of caution and trepid that reflected in his Everton’s style of play. Almost everyone acknowledges that he did a wonderful job to say the least. With limited financial strength, he knew he had to choose wisely when it came to transfer targets and he did very well to bring the likes of Piennar, Mirallas, Jagielka, Fellaini (first time from Standard Leige). Most of these players weren’t high flying but they did the job fine for Moyes and Everton. Ironically, it was Moyes himself who was in the receiving end of the team that he was so instrumental in building.

What also is more concerning is that there is an inevitable comparison between the Everton of Roberto Martinez and the erstwhile Everton of David Moyes. Last Wednesday, Martinez finally managed what Moyes couldn’t; walk away with three points from Old Trafford. Pundits and observers are raving the transformation of the Toffees in contrast to the falling fortunes of the reigning champions. Moyes and his eleven years of hard work and due diligence is fast becoming a blur and that’s where the problem lies. David Moyes needs to reinvent himself, not for salvaging pride, but for the man himself and the club that he coaches at present.