July 1st 2013. 26 years, seven months and 15 days after Alex Ferguson walked into Manchester United and took the helm, the Old Trafford club wake up with a new man officially in charge of the club.
When Ferguson was prised away from Aberdeen in 1986, Manchester United were a big club in English football but they were nowhere near the behemoth of world football that they are now. In fact, many of their alleged 600 million fans across the globe won’t even know of the club being in the care of anyone other than the Scotsman; this author included.
Manchester United stand on the edge of an unknown cliff with only hope and a healthy spoon full of arrogance to hold on to. Unlike other major clubs, there was little in the way of speculation or intrigue about the man that was to replace Sir Alex Ferguson. Just as quickly as the retirement of the most successful manager in British club football had been announced, confirmed and digested by the footballing world, David Moyes was appointed as his replacement.
There was little time allowed for messing around. Whether that was because of United’s standing on the New York stock exchange or simply a trait of the club will remain unknown but it sent out the right message to the footballing world: this was always the plan.
There are, as with any appointment in football, three big question marks that loom over David Moyes as he settles into life at Old Trafford. 1. He is yet to win a trophy as manager having battled admirable with both Preston and Everton but to no avail. 2. He has struggled at the homes of the so-called “big four” in the Premier League and is yet to taste victory as an away manager at any of Anfield, Stamford Bridge or the Emirate Stadium. 3. Moyes doesn’t join Manchester United having spent the last 10 years guiding Everton deep into the latter stages of the Champions League or the Europa League. His experience of European club competition is arguably less than that of Tony Pulis who took Stoke into the knock-out stages of the Europa League in recent seasons.
They are the sticks used by his detractors as they speculate he will struggle to fill the shoes of Sir Alex Ferguson and yet, there is much confidence to take from Moyes’ appointment. David Moyes shares two of Sir Alex Ferguson’s greatest strengths: an ability to adapt his team’s playing style and a comfort in rebuilding.
Neither Sir Alex Ferguson nor David Moyes are known for a particular playing style. Unlike Arsene Wenger, Brendan Rodgers or even Pep Guardiola who all have desired systems and tactics that they like their teams to adhere to; both Ferguson and Moyes simply evolve with the times. They play “good, exciting football” yes; but that’s all you can say that you will sum up all of their teams. Even then, Ferguson’s Champions League winning side in 2008 were incredibly defensive in their play.
Moyes doesn’t necessarily bring a unique set of tactics that he’ll want to impose on the Manchester United squad. In the past, he’s shown an ability to adapt his style due to changes in the footballing world and the players at his disposal. Having spent 10 years at Everton, the Scotsman was constantly met with the news that his best players were to be sold in order for the club to balance the books. While that headache should no longer be a worry at United, he’ll need to retain his comfort with constantly evolving his side so that they can remain in the top handful of the Premier League.
Things won’t be easy for Moyes. His first season will have it’s bumps along the way; with each minor set-back exaggerated because of his standing as the new man in the home dugout of Manchester United. The safety net of Sir Alex Ferguson is gone from the club and it’ll mean Moyes will find himself under more pressure than is probably fair.
For now, his decisions have been for the best. Moyes has brought in his own coaching team and resisted the temptation that may have been there to persevere with those that had worked under Sir Alex. Almost immediately, he’ll be surrounded by a staff that will see him as the boss and not been harking back to the “good old days” of Ferguson.
As much as you should take transfer rumours with a pinch of salt, the supposed targets that the club are chasing are mouth-watering. Leighton Baines was the best left-back in the 2012/13 Premier League and could be reunited with the manager that got the best out of him for Everton; whereas Thiago showed during the European under-21 Championships that he could be one of the best midfielders in the world.
For now, Manchester United fans can simply rest easy. David Moyes as Manchester United manager. This was always the plan.
(Photo credit: edwin.11 via Flickr)