David Moyes: ‘The Average One’ – Why being adequate is worse than being awful.
“It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.”
When my daughter first started seeing her current boyfriend, an average conversation between us would go something like: “You could do so much better.” “But I think I love him.” “I’m sure you think you do, and I’m sure he’s great, but you deserve more.” “Let’s just see how it goes. He might grow on you.” I wasn’t sure; how could I be?
David Moyes has only been the manager of Manchester United six months. Six pretty turgid months, sure, but it hasn’t been long. It’s certainly not the end of Manchester United, or of David Moyes’ period at the helm. He’s been promised time, and money, to reshape an average squad and make it his own. He needs time to make things better, to make the club perform at a higher level than it currently is. And he needs money to bring in players of greater calibre to make this happen. Then, things will start to improve, right?
Let’s say yes. Let’s say David Moyes brings in a selection of players who substantially improve the overall quality of the first team squad. Let’s say this allows David Moyes’ Manchester United to play an exhilaratingly attractive brand of football the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the middle of the Fergie era. Let’s say this results in trophies and titles and cups. Fans are happy, the players are happy, Moyes is happy, and yes, the Glazers are happy. Let’s say that this progresses, until it ends.
Let’s say no. Let’s say David Moyes brings in a selection of players who do not improve the overall quality of the squad. Let’s say he’s not allowed to. Let’s say the tactics don’t really change and the football played remains pedestrian, predictable and excruciating to watch. Let’s say Manchester United go several years without even the slightest hint of a trophy. Let’s say this progresses, until it ends, and David Moyes is sacked.
Let’s say that Manchester United and David Moyes end up somewhere in between. That several good players are purchased, and results steadily improve. With better players comes tactical diversity and even a string of semi-impressive performances. There are still a number of defeats, sure, but overall, things are not at crisis levels. Let’s say there’s even the odd cup win, with United sustaining a presence toward the top end of the Premier League. Let’s say this progresses for several years, before it ends, and Moyes moves on.
Every Manchester United fan’s heart yearns for the first option. At least, it should. Many years of trophy-laden success under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson’s hand-picked successor? Of course that’s the most attractive option. Also, at this moment in time, it’s the most unlikely. But the heart wants what the heart wants.
The second option tightens the stomach. That’s called fear. The worst possible outcome. It’s scary because, having been given funds, substantial or otherwise, David Moyes is unable to cajole a United side to effectively compete in league or cup. After the flood of success comes the drought. But even at Manchester United, a club with a rich history of patiently giving managers time, and with a six-year contract neatly folded in his back pocket, if current form continued, David Moyes would not remain in charge into the foreseeable future. The only positive of this scenario is that it would progress, and end, very quickly.
The third option is the biggest worry. It doesn’t fulfil the romantic needs of the heart, or do enough to unsettle the stomach. It keeps things calm, balanced. It would do so for many years. For the modern-day Manchester United, this isn’t enough.
If United don’t secure Champions League football this season, perhaps Moyes will ensure it next year. Would it be viewed as a triumph? It shouldn’t. The club has already been eliminated from this season’s FA Cup, but perhaps they might win it next year, or the year after that. Does the lifting of a cup every few seasons constitute success? For many clubs, yes. For Manchester United, no. Off the pitch, the so-often called ‘biggest club in the world’ are heavyweights; revenue is at an all-time high. United should always strive toward being the very best on the pitch, too. For too long they haven’t been. Being adequate isn’t enough; it’s not what Manchester United do.
David Moyes is not a bad manager. In fact, you could probably argue that he’s a (very) good one. He won’t do awful things at the club. With time and money, would anyone? The problem is he’s produced very little, thus far, to suggest he’s going to become a managerial great at Manchester United. Managerial greats are what any football fan should hope to have at their club. United fans had the pleasure of one leading their club for over 26 years, and it’s not greedy or spoilt to want another right away.
Back to my daughter. “He might grow on you.” He kind of has; that’s the problem. He’s a decent lad who treats her well and makes her reasonably happy. But she could have done so much better. The sad thing is, she’ll never know by how much. None of us will. But it’s too late now. After all, the heart wants what the heart wants.
What do I know, you’re probably asking. And you’d be right to ask. After all, I started this piece with a quote from LOST. And I don’t even have a daughter.
What are your thoughts on David Moyes? Comment in the section below.
19 replies on “David Moyes: The Average One?”
My thoughts? …sack the twat.
Now we know why Everton have won nothing in the 2000’s.
Completely out of his depth together with his henchmen and of course another bad Fergie decision like some others which always get wshed under the carpet.
Moyes and his bunch of Everton coaches are a bunch of free loaders trying to cash in on man utd like what they did to Everton for 11 years and the best part, they managed to get the fans and management of Everton to behave like them, in accepting an Avarage performance until Martinez came in to Everton and showed them that they could strive for greater heights and at the same time showed the players what an average manager Moyes was to them.
Fergie just wanted his own pet at the helm, he was threatened by Mourinho, Pep or even Klopp, so Moyes was the best choice for him but not the club, whilst OLD Bobby is just a nuisance to the club and fans by publicly objecting to Mourinho’s appointment as manager for man utd…….maybe he has lived tooooo long.
You can’t blame moyes for every
Thing premier league winning players don’t turn shite overnight BUT football is changing and by his appointment we av stood still because for example if klopp was at the real then give the guy a chance to put his own stamp on things but we are giving a chance to moyes who as done nowt winning is a habit unt are winners and that’s why we are suffering coz a winner off the pitch generates winners on it ! Sir Alex ! Winner , moyes, !!! I’m sorry but today footy is very unforgiving them scouse bastardised were good in the 80s we were brill in the last two decades do you know why coz they stood still ! UTD
Dortmund are currently 12 points behind top spot in the Bundesliga and 5 off second. Judging by logic from these forums they should sack the twat, he’s an average manager…. and they have a much better XI than us 😉
‘He’s a decent lad who treats her well and makes her reasonably happy. But she could have done so much better. ‘
Tell me who would have be better? Mourihno? Got forbid, he’d park the bus and fuck off in 2 years, not OUR way, Fergie failed to improve this team for 3-4 years before retiring, RVP won us the league last year, without him or Rooney we just have to admit we are miles away from the best in Europe, Vidic and Rio are past it,Evans, Smalling and the silvas are not up to it and out midfield is no better than Hull or Sunderlands. We’ve needed central midfielders since Keane went, never replaced him or Scholesey, that’s Fergies fault, or Glazer’s if it was down to money, which i dont think it was.
We now need 6 or 7 top players, and we should allow Moyes to buy these after appointing him; It takes time to build a team, have patience and keep the red flag flying high.
Exactly my thoughts on the matter.
I doubted that Moyes would be the man to replace Sir Alex, but I did give him a fair chance in my mind, he came from a team always in the middle, he had never won any trophy with Everton, yet he came to M.U., which was No1, in trophy winning.
He has not learned to know enough about ALL of his players, and that shows.
He has his favorites, and uses them constantly, even when their performance
on the field is not up to their best.
He should learn to choose his team carefully and let them all know at leasnearleir in tnhe week
What’s most painful to me is the lack of sack rumors coming from the English press already. Have they all been bought off? I’ve always said and believe that every exceptional manager must have either of this three qualities 1.Good motivator 2.Be an astute tactician 3.Both qualities.
Moyes has none of it SIMPLE.
His Everton team was always turgid, but martinez’s wigan were fluid, a joy to watch and a pain to play against. IMO, Martinez would have been a far better manager.
Moyes should be sacked ASAP along with his cronies as I don’t see any exceptional player truly willing to be managed by moyes, nor to be coached by the likes of his coaching crew. Pls don’t let him even waste more of our funds.
The truth is Moyes just isn’t good enough. I hate it when people compare moyes to good managers like Klopp or great managers like Sir Alex. Sir Alex and Klopp are both winners, they know what it is like to win trophies, like when Sir Alex first came to united he was ALREADY A WINNER!! Klopp is so much better than moyes. He made Dortmund one of Europe’s best teams, with limited resources I might add. Season after season he is forced to sell his best players like when Sahin went to Madrid and Gotze plus Lewandowski to Bayern and they still compete with Europe’s elite. If Rooney and or RVP left today we would surely finish in the bottom half of the table. The hierarcy should work on a managerial replacement, one who is actually a winner.
Is David Moyes the average one. well he has had six months compared to SAF who was king for 26 yrs.Compaired to last couple of seasons Moyes isnt doing too badly.This season they have the Roon back in form but missing VP
and Hernandez form.The difference is they are loosing by 1 goal instead of winning by 1 goal.Because the top teams have bought good players United will be average.The ManU Club(owners,directors,SAF)MUST HAVE BOUGHT GOLLUM(we wants the precious) FOR A REASON.SO it,s the Clubs responsibiliy here what happens.I dont believe Moyes personly can do what he wants,he does what the directer and owners want..SO it must be up to the fans to do something about the entertanment value by not buying a ticket or demanding a change.Rememer WHO is paying, fans and tv watchers.Another thing is being British, something is wrong somewhere when hardly any British boys are in the Prem leage let alone managers.Klop is mentioned and yes he is good and German boys number 70% over in thier leage with much better training compaired with our rapidly dwindling 30%.Here in Britain it is Money and names running the entertanment value not to mention the media linch mob getting their 2penny worth in selling news.IS David Moyes averagehas got to be at the moment yes,can he be better,very doubtful but only the Club knows.
Martinez would have been a better choice
God, you cannot do comparison or maybe you blind lad, can you just look at Martinez and Pellegrini? They both new managers and they ARE FINE! They have had also six month just like Moyes at their new club and they are going very well with their team. If you choose to say that Moyes is as good as them then you implicitly say that United players are worse than everton and city players, hahaha. Your choice lad.
Hi Jack (writing this like a letter)
Interesting article. However, its a bit glass half empty (as seems to be the case with much of the supporter base.)
What I will say is this…I wanted Fergie sacked in 1990. I was 13 years old, and obviously knew little. But I was not alone. The point is without time and support you simply do not know how good someone can be. Would we feel like this now with an identical record to Moyes if we had Mourinho in charge? Probably not – we would kid ourselves that his CV meant something in the grand scheme of things, and he would charm the fuck out of us.
We have hit a point of reality – football is cyclical. We have zero right to have success, whether we are Manchester United or not. The work begins now, and there is no point in thinking about whether Moyes is the right man or not, because he has had 6 months to do a job that took the last bloke a generation to complete.
The negativity many fans are showing now doesnt help Moyes, but the positivity shown by match going Reds does. This is what is important now. If the Glazers cut Moyes throat in the transfer window, thats not his fault. If fans REALLY think that they deserve more from their football club, they might have actually protested against the Glazers ownership in an effective manner, rather than sit back and swim in the success like spoilt brats.
These days were always coming.
David Moyes, not as sexy as Jose or Klopp, but we didnt have alot of choices out there. He wont get the 3 years without a trophy that SAF got, but he deserves longer than this short period.
You dont always approve of your daughter’s boyfriends, but it is vital you let them make their own mistakes, whilst still loving and supporting them…
Or you could end up one of those bitter & twisted Dads that drives their loved ones away…the grass isnt always greener.
Yep.
Kind Regards
Rob
Very true,what about the Fabio Capello CV and what happened there.I think for economy reasons that Fergie had a good idea with buying youngsters to develop and also cheaper players.Economy really doe,s matter in todays over inflated Money bags football World.Obviously a sort out is needed as the gamble does,nt always payoff and i think a 2 or3 of seasons would be a good tryout for a manager.They are gonna win Saturday for sure.
What I cannot understand is why did manu get him we could off had a range of world class managers but we got him? Then when he comes in fergie asked him not to change the backroom staff you know the world class staff who have been there and help win everything? He could have used them but no he brought in phill fuckin neville and co, then to top it off he bought that clown from his old club we as manu fans are paying as fergie played god, well sir alex you always said no person is bigger than the club. Look in the mirror.
Phill Neville will get promoted to player trainer when Evra leaves..
Moyeses biggest challenge is the transfer market. I believe he needs time just as sir Alex did when he arrived, the big difference in the modern game is the importance of the transfer market, do the biggest and the best want to play for Moyes? He has a short period of time to prove his power as a manager and thus attract the best players in the world. If he does he has all the possibility to create a new dynasty, if he keeps buying what he can get, like Fellaini… We will slip, which can’t happen, there is only on united!
They might even revive Gary as well and as a last resort Bobby Charlton.