Gary Neville disappointed by Manchester United's sacking of David Moyes

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Gary Neville

Gary Neville disappointed by David Moyes’ sacking

After 10 months filled with disappointment and disapproval, David Moyes was relieved of his duties as Manchester United manager earlier on Tuesday. From Premier League champions to a side which isn’t going to be in the Champions League, Moyes’ tenure has been disappointing to say the least. Rumors emerged on Monday, a day before the Scot was dismissed and United legend Gary Neville wasn’t too pleased with the way the Scot’s dismissal has been handled by the club.

“The last 15, 16 hours or however long it’s been, I don’t like it, it’s not the way in which the club should portray itself,” the eight-time Premier League winner told Sky Sports News.

“But it’s the modern world, it’s how things seem to be dealt with now, but I’m a traditionalist and I think it could have been dealt with a whole lot better. I believe in managers being given time, I think they should be allowed to complete their work. The idea of giving people three- and four- and six-year contracts and then getting rid of them after 10 months is something that’s foreign to me.”

Having said that, he was quick to say that the performances this season haven’t been to United’s standards. “However, there’s no disguising that the football this season has been poor, the results have been poor. As a fan I’ve not enjoyed watching it – I’m sure David Moyes himself hasn’t enjoyed watching it. And I can’t think many Manchester United fans will have enjoyed watching it either.”

“The performances have sort of got worse and worse. There was a little bit of a pick-up before Christmas when you thought there might be a bit of a run but in the last month or two the performances have sort of deteriorated really.”

But the former United right back, also said that the players must take much of the blame for the dismissal and it isn’t Moyes’ fault. He added: “The players have to take massive responsibility. I never once during my 17/18-year career at United turned around after a game and thought: ‘You lost us that game, boss’. It’s always the players. Players have to take responsibility, accountability in football. Those players there are not as bad as they have been showing, I’ve played with a lot of those players.

“They’ve got great care for United, they love the club – the ones that I know – they’re desperate to do well for the club and they have completely lost confidence. These are players who were champions nine months ago and the decline has been surprising to say the least.”

With the Welshman Ryan Giggs set to take charge until the end of the season, the England coach believes that his former team-mate is stepping into uncharted waters and warned him of the challenges ahead.

Speaking about the current trend of sacking managers, Neville said: “It’s a different world to the one it was in the 1980s when (Dave) Sexton, (Ron) Atkinson and Sir Alex Ferguson were given time through their difficult moments. That’s just not going to happen anymore. It’s something that I don’t like about the modern game, the fact that managers get sacked every 12 months. It doesn’t matter whether it’s my club, it’s United, or any other club.”

“I genuinely believe there is a lack of decency now in the way in which football managers get dealt with at all the different clubs. They’re just so much in the firing line and they accept it’s a pressurized job, they get well paid for it, but I think there is a way of decency with dealing with people.

“Football managers now just get tossed around, chucked about, disregarded, rubbished. Decent men, good men just get thrown away, and that’s not just David Moyes, that’s all the way through football.”

Neville’s treble-winning team-mate Dwight Yorke also believes that Giggs could be the perfect man for the job, not just for now, but permanently as well.

“I know there’s a lot of people speculating that they need somebody with big experience out there that has managed a club at the very top level but we are talking about a continuity, something like what Sir Alex Ferguson did. I think for togetherness and getting the results and playing a certain way, a brand of football that is more eye-catching, the Man United way, I feel that Ryan Giggs is the right person” said the former United striker.

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Edited by Staff Editor