24 reasons why Manchester United should NOT sack David Moyes

THE POSITIVES

6) Best away form in the league

United’s misadventures at home have been well documented this season, but little praise has been showered on Moyes for transforming the way the club has traditionally performed on the road. Considering the way the season has panned out, it’s quite an achievement to be ahead of table-toppers Liverpool, City and Chelsea in the away table. The four losses have come at Anfield, Etihad, Stamford Bridge and the Britannia Stadium, all tough away fixtures.

7) United romped home to their biggest ever Champions League away win when they hammered 5 goals past a high-flying Leverkusen side in November. It was a game for the purists as Leverkusen struggled with the irrepressible duo of Rooney and Kagawa. The result was hailed as one of the most historic nights for United in European football and more importantly it showed David Moyes’ penchant for entertaining and attacking football as opposed to his conservational reputation.

8) Wayne Rooney

The £300,000-a-week figure might be a little too extravagant, but Moyes certainly didn’t mind paying a little extra to a player who has probably been the only saving grace of a disastrous season thus far. In Rooney, who seemed destined to leave United last summer, Moyes now has a talisman to build his squad around with greater flexibility and fluidity.

Moyes shrugged off his ego to appease a player with whom he was earlier involved in a defamation lawsuit. This not only speaks volumes about Moyes’ level-headedness but also reflects his ‘club over everything’ attitude that is so integral to the ethos of Manchester United.

9) Adnan Januzaj

This season has given all United fans a gift for the future in the form of Adnan Januzaj. The 18-year-old Belgian (or Albanian or Kosovar) has been the brightest silver lining in an otherwise dismal season. Moyes has unearthed an absolute superstar in-the-making. The way he has handled the youngster in terms of game-time and his long-term contract has also been commendable.

10) The late surrenders against Fulham, Everton and Tottenham at Old Trafford not only lost United crucial points at home, but they also bore testament to the sudden evaporation of the ‘comeback kings’ spirit that Sir Alex Ferguson so tenderly cultivated over the years.

However, the spirited comebacks against Sunderland, Hull, Stoke and Spurs rekindled memories of those stirring late come-from-behind victories of the seasons gone by. Overturning the first-leg deficit against Olympiacos at Old Trafford and the ensuing celebrations and pandemonium showed that the fighting spirit is still strong and intact.

11) #FreeShinji is finally free

Shinji Kagawa has started four of United’s last six games (3 wins, 1 loss); he has made appearances as a substitute in the other two. Fans and pundits who have watched the games against Aston Villa and Newcastle have seen a magical relationship brewing between Mata and Kagawa.

He has been United’s link-man in the midfield, floating all around the pitch and making his team tick, the sort of Kagawa the world was used to seeing in the colors of Dortmund. Moyes’ growing affection for the Japanese will pacify millions of Shinji fans and more importantly give United some much needed creativity and flair in the midfield.

12) Champions League performances

Moyes was considered to be a European rookie, with hardly any prior experience of managing a club at the continental level. Although a relatively easier group greeted Moyes’ first foray in the UCL, questions were still being asked of the Scot. Looking back at United’s UCL performance this season, Moyes and his players have enough reasons to be pleased.

United sailed through the group stage as one of only three unbeaten sides, the spirited reverse against Olympiakos and two very committed and tactically astute displays against defending champions Bayern Munich have given enough evidence of Moyes’ potential to manage at the highest level of club football.