20 is history.

After the match ended my friend texted me to ask, is this the worst start in Manchester United history?

I pondered over how to answer the question, because one I am not a historian and two I don’t like accept that it was the worst start in my memory. So, I replied to him. It doesn’t matter. History is history, Sir Alex Ferguson is history, and 20 English titles 13 premier league titles are all history.

David Moyes is what we have now. Is he a capable man to manage the team? Is he capable of repeating the past history? I don’t know, but from what we all know by now. He is a seasoned premier league manager who knows how to navigate within the premier league and has had his highs and lows in so called the best league in the world. So all we know for now is that he is a capable manager.

That brings me to the reason for this article. So, why is such a capable manager experiencing such a horrendous start to his career at one of the biggest club in the world? The main reason he faltered in his start is because of his team selection in all those losing matches, also in the matches won but no one bothers about them too much. So is it his fault? Certainly not his fault alone. It’s the fault of the team too. The team that won the league with 11 points has no reason whatsoever to perform as badly as they did today in the match against West Bromovich Albion. The squad that Moyes inherited was so worn out that it had only one midfielder worthy of getting a look into the Manchester United squad. Still, the same team won the league. That’s testament to the managerial abilities of THE GREAT SIR ALEX FERGUSON. If anyone has any doubts over why Sir Alex was the greatest, the mentioned analogy is more than sufficient to answer them.

So coming back, the current problems are because of the squad not of the manager. He has vowed to fix it and I believe in him because he is capable of it. I have heard a argument stating that even City, Chelsea changed their managers and they have started better than United. The reason being that even though the manager changed, the management that looks after the transfer activity of the team didn’t change. Their respective management knew what exactly the team needed and made the necessary moves the transfer window. Where as in United’s case it was a one man army of Sir Alex, hence with just his change there is a huge void left behind.

Moyes did a mistake of blindly believing that the last year’s squad could do a repeat in terms of performance and hence committed his fouls in the transfer squad. If being naïve is a crime then he is guilty, but lowering their own performance the players are surely guilty of what they did in all those matches which cost us the points. As a die-hard Manchester United fan, I always take pride in the team’s style of play. And in recent the style hasn’t made me proud, honestly there is no style at all. Making a match a contest and losing is fine with me like what happened against Tottenham at home last year (United lost 3-2, but they played with style which has made them champions so far). So whats going to happen in the January transfer window will be keenly awaited because Moyes has made his intentions clear regarding adding 2-3 players who can walk straight into the team and may be chop off the dead wood.

May be Moyes will fail, but that’s the thought for another time in 2-3 years. Lets give the man a decent chance to succeed in a league where a team that beat Manchester United 4-1 and score another 5 goals for fun in a league cup and still go down 3-2 to last year’s strugglers. No wonder they consider Premier league to be the toughest in the world.

Lets not take solace in the fact that all the top teams dropped points today (at the time of writing), because we are not team who depend on others to drop points.

The team selection is forced because that’s all he has after a disastrous transfer window.  But there are some unanswered questions of why didn’t Fellaini start? Why is Anderson even in the squad? These are the questions I am sure Moyes will answer soon.

David Moyes in you we believe so you better not screw it up. 

The summer of confusion at Old Trafford.

All the signs that emerged after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson were positive, with the swift appointment of David Moyes and his staff. The appointment of Ryan Giggs from a player to player-coach and Phil Neville as the assistant coach was symbol of belief in the club culture. Everything smooth for a club that is renowned for stability not only on the pitch also off it. Where others clubs go through a series of transformations during the football summer with the appointment of new managers and the players adopting to the certain manager and few falling out of favour and down the pecking order even before the ball has been kicked in in the new season. That problem never occurred for Manchester United, the perks of having a single boss for past 26 years. Yet one problem spilled over from the Ferguson era to Moyes, THE ROONEY CONUNDRUM.

You see the problem with replacing the title winning outgoing coach is that you are not only supposed to retain the title but you are supposed to do it in some style to prove that you are one for the job. It’s the challenge facing the likes of Moyes and Guardiola, as if this wasn’t enough the delicate matter of fan favourite Rooney was handed over to Moyes. He seemed to handle it well initially, but some misinterpreted quotes have brought up all the kind of headache to him when he on the other side of the world building his side to retain the title. May be he should leave it up to the board to the Rooney mess, but he is intelligent enough to know the caliber of Rooney, he introduced him to the world. Losing a player of that caliber to direct rivals (Chelsea have already made an offer, with Arsenal also interested) will be damning because irrespective of the forward options at United Hernandez, Welback & Van Persie, Rooney is something special to the fans and the club. Given that Rooney never gave in the transfer request and still silent through this entire episode seems to me that he wants to stay and play, in his preferred position. That’s all he has asked for, to play in his position (apart from an improved contract three years earlier). One should remember that United legend Paul Scholes also got into the dark side of Sir Alex and was punished by benching him for important matches. Comparing to that scenario Rooney has suffered enough and should be given one more last chance to prove that he can follow in Scholes footsteps and go on to become a legend at Old Trafford. 

Moving on other issues plaguing the club during this summer, or should we say last few years is the signing of the genuine midfielder for the club. The last of such signing was Michael Carrick. The issue was put to rot and the rot seems to continue. Not that there wasn’t any effort put to fill the gaps, Sneijder couldn’t be signed because of his high wages, Moura was lost to high fee of Paris Saint-Germain. Hazard again lost to money of Chelsea. Thiago lost to allure of Guardiola. Again and again United have a lost out the race in the market and it is starting to reflect badly. But it has never affected the Club heavily in Premier league, because of the mentality of club. But in Europe it has become limp. There are some exciting young players in the squad who would be up to the challenge but not with immediate effect. Players like Adnan Januzaj, who is impressing the boss at the preseason friendly, Zaha and Nick Powell will take time to get adjusted to rough and tumble of premier league, let alone Europe.

I am no expert in transfer dealings but I feel United should’ve reacted quickly to the Thiago transfer. United were in negotiations from almost a month and yet Bayern Munich came in swooped up Thiago in just two days. And now United are in for Fabregas for 30 milllion euros. Seriously 30 million? Thiago goes for 22million and the club bids for a improved senior player who has proved potential at highest level, for just a 8 million more. That shows United are not seriously interest or someone at the club who decides the bid don’t know the player potential. Anyway, Barcelona won’t sell him. Another long term target Kevin Strootmen is also lost to Roma. So where does that leave the club? Again at square one. The search for another Central midfielder (CM) goes on. That’s the confusion I am talking about. The club need a genuine CM, needed it for years, and still can’t get one. The sight of targeted players lost to some other clubs has become a common sight for fans like me. Do we have the money to buy required players? Yes. Do we have the history? In plenty. So what’s the issue? No one seems to know or get hold of the answer. So how is Moyes going to manage without the required CM? He had Fellaini at Everton. So how will he fill that gap United? That’s the answer everyone is waiting for.

Have your say, by commenting below.