David Moyes Fired & Sacked: How Manchester United's Manager Got Fired After Less Than A Year
After 90 minutes of suffering, David Moyes walked away from the pitch at Goodison Park looking completely out of sorts. The man, often known for his clean outfits, was wearing Nike sneakers and what looked like sweatpants; hardly what one has come to expect from Manchester United's manager. But the image summed up what his season has been -- a mess.
Reports Monday indicated that Moyes was on his way out of Old Trafford and that the team had intentions of moving in a new direction. So what exactly went wrong with Moyes in his first season with the legendary club?
The first issue for Moyes was not of his own making. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, United had built a brand of excellence. The fans and the world expected greatness from the club at every turn. And while the manager had a plethora of top players at his disposal throughout his tenure, there could be no mistaking his own impact in the development. Ferguson just seemed to know how to pull the right strings with each and every player he put out on the pitch. He knew how to motivate his players in the waning minutes of every match to pull out a few miracles. He was and will remain one of the great managers ever.
So how do you top that if you're Moyes? Simply put, you can't. There is simply no way that Moyes could have ever lived up to the expectations of Ferguson. What he could do was make sure that the club continued to play an attractive brand of soccer with winning results.
That task should not have been so difficult. Most of the team was made up of the same core group that won the Premier League last season. Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa, Ryan Giggs, Antonio Valencia, Javier Hernandez, David De Geo, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones. The list goes on and on. Admittedly some players are past their best and injuries were bound to happen. But how could a team that was so dominant in 2012-13 looks so futile in 2013-14?
The answer is tactics. Under Moyes, Manchester United looked a bit scattered in the midfield. The team seemed to lack directness and the players were often used in the wrong positions. Kagawa is an elite midfielder in the middle of the park, but Moyes inexplicably used him out wide for a great part of the year. When he brought in Juan Mata in January he did the same thing despite the fact that Mata had been struggling in a similar position while playing for Chelsea. Rooney got more time in his comfortable spot at the center forward and thrived in 2013-14. But Robin Van Persie, who had been the most vital player in Ferguson's final year was a shadow of himself in 2013-14. Part of that has to do with his chronic injuries, which took a year off in 2012-13. But the superstar striker went from scoring 30 goals in 48 matches to notching 17 strikes thus far this year in 25. The goals per game may be more impressive this season, but it is essential to note that Van Persie has complained about his position with the club. He reportedly argued with Moyes over training tactics back in October and also subtly jabbed Moyes' tactics when he stated that his teammates were "sometimes occupying the spaces I want to play in." He defended his manager in similar statements, but it is hard to overlook the fact that he felt uncomfortable with the current system in place.
The transfer moves have been nothing short of disappointing. Moyes tried to land such talents as Cesc Fabregas and Ander Herrera but wound up settling for Marouane Fellaini, who has been injured for most of the year and has been a nuisance on the pitch. His move for Mata in January was met with a better reception, but the Spaniard has been a hit-or-miss thus far. There are rumors of Herrera and Toni Kroos being on the target list for the club, but Moyes will never see those moves come to fruition.
The next question for Moyes is where he goes next? Is there a club willing to give him the keys to the franchise after his poor display with arguably the biggest in the world? Or is his career at an end as a major manager?