Liverpool’s Title Hopes Highlight Damage Done by Moyes
After watching our enemy from down the M62 destroy Spurs, it’s looking more and more likely that they will claim their first title in 24 years. My stomach is churning, my head is banging, and whilst any lover of the game can’t help but admire what Liverpool have achieved and the style of football they are playing, it just highlights the damage Moyes has done to the dynasty built by SAF. Liverpool spent £34 million on Suarez and Sturridge combined; we spent £27.5m on Fellaini and £37m on Mata.
I read that the Clueless One said that whilst he inherited a very good team from Sir Alex, even he would have struggled with this squad of players this season. Is he really serious? Does anyone have any doubt whatsoever that, had Sir Alex continued, we would have stayed in the top 4? Does he seriously think that we would have gone from being champions by 11 points to finishing around 20 points behind the new title-winners? Whilst we all accept that Sir Alex maybe didn’t do enough to bolster the midfield over the previous 2-3 years, if he had continued, it’s hard to imagine him splashing such crazy money on Fellaini.
I understand from good sources that the issue with Ryan Giggs is that Moyes basically doesn’t speak to him. The reason for this is that Giggsy tried to talk to him about a change in tactics and changes in training to recapture the attacking philosophy that has been ingrained in the club for the past 70 years. The fans want to see the flair on the pitch, and would rather lose by the odd goal playing exciting attacking football than sideways and backwards passing, or pumping balls into the box. However, Moyes apparently wasn’t buying into it, hence the breakdown in communication.
Moyes made a comment that the people who spent £840 on the plane would have been better giving that money to Darren Fletcher’s colitis charity. That extra £3 million he needlessly spent on Fellaini after missing out on his release clause would have made for a decent donation too. I don’t think the plane was a good idea, but I do think it reflects what most United fans are feeling about Moyes.
Many of the United fans I speak to wanted to support Moyes through thick and thin. Many said they thought the appointment was risky, but hopefully genius, but I can’t name one who is backing Moyes now as the man they want spending that money in the summer. The majority of United fans would welcome a new manager to take us forward and play football the United way. If we are not careful, that could become a distant memory, and football fans around the world will be watching Liverpool and City in awe of the style of football they play, instead of our beloved Reds.
Right now, our club is in crisis. Support for the manager and the owners is minimal. We will have no European football to look forward to next season, and it’s going to take a whole new regime to get us back to the top. I fear the worst right now – I fear the Glazers will still own the football club, and that they will stick with Moyes who will continue to buy badly and play negative football, and we will remain a club with an outside chance of a top 4 finish. There are rumblings that the Qatari royal family are considering making a bid for United with Beckham, Giggs and Neville at the forefront of the deal. I guess one can only dream, as we would obviously have no shortage of cash and they would demand to have a top manager in place.
I don’t blame Ferguson – I am sure he made the appointment thinking it would be the best move for Manchester United. Sir Alex built the club we support today – he was a genius, and we will love him forever for what he has done, but the vast majority of United fans agree he got this decision wrong. United have to move on – they need to have the best person possible in charge.
Of course we all fear for Tuesday night, and how humiliating it could potentially be. Realistically, if Benteke had taken some of those relatively easy chances for Villa, the score could have been 4-4, so what will Bayern do to us? I guess we can only wait and see.
