What happened to the David Moyes we knew!
After the initial surprise, read shock, I felt while reading the reports that David Moyes is all set to be named Sir Alex’s successor, it dawned on me that in its entirety it was a good move by United. David Moyes, did offer most of the philosophies being associated with us Red-Devils – developing youngsters, shrewd transfers, comebacks, continuity. So I started to think if he continues the same way the club should not really have problems transitioning away from the Sir Alex era.
But then again, its not an ideal world. Just 2 months into the season and critics have already ruled United out of the championship race. Champions League qualification has become the most achievable target and players are being reported unhappy at the club.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 19: Manchester United manager David Moyes during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford on October 19, 2013 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Something has happened to the Moyes we knew while transitioning from Everton to United. Its like he is not the same guy anymore. If the Moyes we knew from his day at Everton had managed United, the club would not have faced its worst start of the Premier league era. But this David Moyes – currently leading United, looks a more apprehensive, fearful and unsure version of the previous one.
Moyes at Everton never had an extravagant transfer budget at his disposal. He had to make do in what little transfer kitty the club could manage. And over a period of time he became a master at that art. Scouting for talent on the cheap, bringing in fringe & squad players from other clubs who could fit in his system, couple of loan deals from the big clubs – that was his transfer mantra. And it was quite a successful mantra.
So its quite baffling why all of a sudden he started chasing superstars after coming to Manchester. It was always going to be a tough ask to rope in superstars considering the lack of charisma and European experience he has. Plus the fact that no one was quite sure how the new era at United will pan out to be, and this meant that it was only logical for the top players to choose the other greener pastures. Moyes and the club should have known this and taken it into consideration.
Moyes had already inherited a championship winning squad. All he needed to do was fine tune the squad bringing in a couple of ‘Moyes type’ players who will fit in the system he wanted to play, see how it pans out and then made changes if required. Instead it was like Moyes and United were on a mission to sign a mega superstar.
And the result was that they had to dole out unnecessary extra millions to sign a player Moyes knew all about. It makes no sense really. When he knew all about Fellaini and was looking to sign him, why not sign him when the release clause in his Everton contract was still active. Would the Evertonian Moyes have made such a blunder? No, never.
Having been in the Premier League for so long he had quite a clear idea about the players he would have at United, he could have marked the players who can play in his system or thought about some other system from which he can utilize the available players in the best way possible. Having brought the best from the average and some above average and good players at Everton, its a shame that he can cannot bring into use the brilliant talent that is being currently wasted by warming the United bench.
And no its not just Kagawa that I am talking about, although yes, being a fan of him since his Bundesliga days, I am deeply disappointed that he is not getting enough playing time. Hernandez, Welbeck and especially that guy from Crystal Palace who has well and truly disappeared after the end of pre-season all have been unfairly under-utilized.
Its not a case of ‘only 11 players can play’, its more about a lack of plan B or rather a system B. The revamped 4-4-2 i.e. 4-4-1-1 that Moyes plays almost every time means the talent will continue to stagnant on the bench. Its not just about the need to utilize the squad that demands another system, the system he uses is on the verge on becoming obsolete. And the players he has at his disposal are not best suited to his system.
Evra quite clearly is not Baines, while the wingers/wide-men he played initially – Valencia (who can not cut back and cross with his left leg) and Ashley Young (a hit and largely a miss player) cant replicate the Everton Wingers. Rooney for all his brilliance and everything he brings into the game wont ever be able to the job that Fellaini and Cahill did for Everton. Even the big signing of the summer, Fellaini, has been used deep in the midfield when he played his best as an advanced midfielder for Everton.
One big point that made me quite happy on Moyes’ appointment was Everton under Moyes were the best in making comebacks. Well, second best actually, after United. Statistically last season they ranked second best in terms of most points earned from losing position. And who can forget the resilience they showed to comeback and earn a 4-4 draw which eventually led to United loosing the title to M.City the season before. Resilient – that is what Everton were under Moyes.
And so, in an ideal world, Fergie time should have become Moyes time and United should have continued finishing strong. But United have been anything but resilient and strong finishers. In fact the team has more often than not gave away the hard earned lead in the dying minutes this season as they did this weekend too, against Southampton.
What is tactically disappointing is his use of the substitutes and at times the lack of it. Even with the availability of impact players and players who can infuse energy into games, Moyes has time and again gone with uninspiring timid substitutions. None more so than in the last game, substituting out the two most industrious players United had in Fellaini and Rooney at a time when Southampton were starting to control the game.
It is becoming increasingly frustrating to see United squandering away points and dropping further down the table. But it is even more frustrating to see the lack of anything new in terms of tactics and even attitude from the manager. The spirit seems gone. A brief spark was lit by Adnan and then his contract extension but will it be enough to fuel the revival – perhaps not. It falls on Moyes to lead the charge. A plan B, system B, re-shuffling – something needs to be done or else it will continue to be the same story.
Don’t know exactly what the case is. Is the weight of the expectations too much or the continuous spotlight jumbling his actions or the ghost of the legacy of the man he replaced hampering him or maybe he is just trying too hard. Whatever the case may be but presently something is quite not right. Moyes and his the team are resilient no more.