In solidarity with David Moyes

David Moyes needs time

Yet another defeat, yet another embarrassment on the pitch; Manchester United’s defeat to Liverpool has met with harsher criticism than in recent weeks. Not surprisingly, much of it has been directed at David Moyes who seems to be the staple target of critics these days right from those in the posh air-conditioned corporation studios to those chugging beer on their couches, struggling to spell Januzaj if offered a million dollars for it. It is wrongful, misdirected, and should simply be unacceptable to any fan of United who can see past a couple of years in either direction, and here’s why.

The team that David Moyes inherited is not even in the same league as those of the current title contenders, let alone being top of the pack. Yes, Sir Alex managed to squeeze a comfortable title out of roughly the same bunch of players but if we are to compare Moyes in his first season at Old Trafford to a living legend, this article might as well accept defeat and end right here. The reality is, with the current crop of players at his disposal, Moyes is doing only slightly worse than what might have been expected of him minus the United name.

It is also to be noted that the radical dip in form of players like Valencia and Ferdinand has seen them reach rock-bottom this season, shortening an already limited set of choices for Moyes to pick from. The departure of Paul Scholes has yet again left a gaping space in the centre of midfield, where Cleverley has been utterly overwhelmed both by the expectations as well as the fallout of his inability to match them. Ryan Giggs, who produced some sublime assists at key moments last season has also been slowly phased out, and anyone complaining about Moyes reducing United’s dependency on a 40 year-old is simply grasping at straws.

Adnan Januzaj – The find of the season

The natural argument to counter what’s been said above is to refer to United’s debacle in the transfer market, which should rightly largely be attributed to Ed Woodward. The transfer window, the summer one that is, was a comedy-of-errors which was no doubt heartily enjoyed by many who do not support the club. However, the targets that Moyes was after were most certainly the right ones irrespective of how the attempts to sign them played out.

When Sir Alex chose not to retain the likes of Pogba (who would almost certainly have stayed if he had started a few games instead of Cleverley), he imposed on his successor the immediate need to sign someone who can command offensive play from midfield. The two big-name signings that have been completed under his reign reflect the same, although neither has spent enough time on the pitch to qualify for a place in a critical analysis of the season so far.

Yet the new manager, for his part, has done alright with what resources have been available to him. Apart from Shinji Kagawa (whose exclusion is baffling), all those in the midfield picture have been given ample chances to stand up and be counted. Some have clearly shown that such faith is more than they deserve; one only needs to watch a highlights reel of Ashley Young or Cleverley to understand why. One example who has been in glorious defiance, however, has been Adnan Januzaj who will almost certainly be hailed as the first great find of Moyes’ reign when people look back a couple of decades down the line.

Wayne Rooney – One of the better performers

Injuries have been very critical in shaping United’s fate this season with Fellaini, Rooney, RvP among others sidelined for critical stretches at crucial points in the season. For perhaps the same reason, the attackers’ performances on the pitch have also noticeably dipped this season. Robin van Persie in particular, has been far less lethal than the confident forward the Old Trafford faithful saw last season. Here, Danny Welbeck has done well in the chances afforded to him, and Moyes might well be right in risking a Hernandez transfer by betting on Welbeck as the primary back-up.

For all his finishing prowess, the Mexican has shown inadequate ability for hold-up play although his ideas with the ball at his feet have certainly seen an improvement. This is particularly true when named in the starting line-up, and he remains an ideal super-sub for this current team rather than a reliable forward. The stand-out performer in this department has no doubt been Wayne Rooney, and it is nothing short of a glowing success that Moyes has managed to tie him down to United for the rest of his peak playing career. The player has been open in admitting the manager’s role in influencing his decision, and it is one of the things fans will definitely be grateful to Moyes for.

A growing area of concern now seems to be defence, with Vidic’s confirmed departure to Inter Milan at the end of the season. Potential successor Chris Smalling has seemed less than confident in the opportunities provided to him this season. While he might still improve enough to make the cut, Phil Jones is now apparently being groomed to partner Jonny Evans. If this is indeed a conscious call by Moyes, it seems to be a good one given Jones’ experience with the first team and his natural position at centre-back. For all his good work as a CDM, Jones only adds to the excessively defensive central midfield options that United currently possess, and does a fair job in defence.

A lack of chances for Kagawa and a surplus for Young

Of course, not everything that Moyes has done has been perfect, with the consistent refusal to give Kagawa at least half as much playing time as Cleverley being the biggest goof. The fact that the players have simply refused to perform on the pitch so often this season also cannot be completely wiped off the hands of Moyes, whose locker room speeches seem to need improvement. He has been guilty of lowering expectations too much and too early perhaps, asking the fans to be patient and to expect some degree of disappointment just a couple of defeats into the season.

This in turn has given the players too much breathing space where the manager soaks up the pressure for the players’ lack of performance, while the players themselves get away with generic statements on the entire team’s need to perform.

It is clear for anyone who has kept an eye on the ownership at Old Trafford that the philosophy will not allow for a change of manager for another season at least; time enough for Moyes to integrate Fellaini, Mata and any potential new signings into the team. It is no more than the Scot deserves, and fans and players alike would do well to keep that in mind. Not just because of his record as a manager or Sir Alex’s faith in him, but for doing so many things right among all the chaos this season.

After all, if he remains true to his word, shipping out all the non-performers in the summer to replace them with quality talent, it will only be a year or two before United regroup and are challenging for titles on multiple fronts again.

After all, if two decades of absolute relentless dominance from Sir Alex Ferguson hasn’t earned his protege a couple of quiet seasons to build a team in his own fashion without the fans going crazy, what ever will?