5 Manchester United stars who could save Moyes’ job

After another humiliating defeat, this time at the hands of Olympiakos in the Champions League, David Moyes and Manchester United enjoyed a week off while neighbours Manchester City were lifting the League Cup at Wembley.

United’s opportunities of winning silverware continue to fade with every passing game, as do their hopes of playing in the Europe league next season. Ironically, their only outside chance of winning a trophy this season is the Champions League.

The 2-0 defeat in Athens heaped further pressure on Moyes, from both the media and perhaps more worryingly for the Scotsman, from the Old Trafford fans. In fairness to the former Everton boss, he hasn’t been helped by a series of uninspiring performances from a number of his key players throughout the season.

With the pressure continuing to mount, Moyes will be looking for a reaction from his players with just 11 league games remaining. Here are five players that could help turn United’s season around.

Robin van Persie

The Dutchman’s goals in his debut campaign at Old Trafford played a major role in United wining the title last season. However, the former Arsenal striker has endured an intermittent second season due to injury and has missed 11 Premier League games so far.

Van Persie has shown glimpses of the deadly form that saw him net 26 goals in 38 appearances for United last term with the 30-year-old having scored 11 goals in 16 games, including four in his last five league starts since returning from injury.

If Van Persie can continue to find the net then United could slowly start to creep up the table, although at 12 points off the pace of fourth place, fifth is perhaps the best they can hope for.

His firepower could also be enough to see off Olympiakos in the return leg of their crucial Champions League knock-out game. The Netherlands international missed a rare chance late on to salvage the Premier League champions at least an away goal to take back to Manchester from their miserable night in Greece.

Moyes has seen the best of Van Persie this season, but he’ll want to see it more often as he looks to turn around his fortunes and prove his doubters wrong.

Wayne Rooney

The England international seems like an obvious choice in a list of United players that could turn around the club’s fortunes, but his contribution shouldn’t be underestimated. He has been a small beacon of light in what has been a dull season for the Premier League champions and the club have rewarded him as such with a new mega-money contract.

The 28-year-old has reached double figures in goals for the tenth consecutive Premier League season and with Van Persie having been missing for much of the season, United have had to rely heavily on his goals.

Rooney has 10 goals in 22 league games this season, as well as two in six appearances in the Champions League. However, he’s managed just one in his last five as Van Persie has taken over goal scoring duties.

As well as his goals, Rooney is also United’s most creative player, having provided 44 goalscoring chances in total, including nine assists. Only Luis Suarez has more assists than the England striker this season.

Moyes has experimented with Rooney throughout the season by dropping him into midfield on a number of occasions, the United boss seemingly having been weary of playing his star man alongside Van Persie in what surely would rival Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez for the most feared strike partnership in the league.

However, with the calls for Moyes to become more adventurous and the pressure continuing to be cranked up, we may yet see a front two of Rooney and Van Persie before the season is over.

Juan Mata

The signing of Juan Mata during the January transfer window was supposed to be a statement of intent from Moyes and hopefully the turning point of the season for his side.

However, although it started well for the Spaniard as he laid on an assist during his debut in a 2-0 win over Cardiff, his arrival doesn’t appear to have given the club the dramatic lift they were hoping for.

It’s not fair to blame Mata solely for this, though, it would be asking a lot of him to come in and turn around a struggling side immediately all by himself. But he has shown signs of why Moyes was prepared to pay a club record fee for the former Chelsea midfielder, as he’s racked up three assists in his opening six games for his new team.

In total, he has created 16 chances since his arrival at Old Trafford, enough to have made him the sixth most creative United player this season. And it will be this creativity that Moyes will be hoping the Spanish international can use to unlock defences for the remainder of the season.

Adnan Januzaj

The teenager has been a revelation this season, thanks in large part to Moyes who plucked him from the reserves and gave him his first taste of Premier League football.

Januzaj soon repaid the faith shown in him by his manager as he bagged a brace during just his third Premier League outing to rescue three points against Sunderland. The Belgian is one of the few positives impacts Moyes can point to from his short time in charge of United.

However, the youngster’s omission from the Champions League tie against Olympiakos baffled many and he must surely be in line to feature in the return leg.

Januzaj has created 22 chances so far this season, with only Rooney and Patrice Evra having created more. His performances have seen the likes of Nani, Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young pushed down the pecking order as they struggle for form as the teenager flourishes.

It has been a long season for a player who wasn’t expected to become a vital component of a championship winning squad so quickly, but the 19-year-old has taken the opportunity with both hands.

Jonny Evans

One of the worrying aspects of United’s dismal season has been the frequency by which they have conceded goals. They look shaky in defence and a complete overhaul of the back four in the summer looks inevitable.

With both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in rapid decline and Chris Smalling and Phil Jones both having failed to impress as replacements, the injury to Jonny Evans could be a bigger blow than many anticipated.

Evans has arguably been United’s most consistent centre-back this season and the Irishman has won an impressive 77% of his average duels including a 73% success rate in both tackles and headed duels won.

After the performances of Vidic and Ferdinand against Olympiakos, the return of Evans from injury will be a welcome, if unglamorous, boost the defensive options at Old Trafford.