Moyes is gone: Five things the new Man Utd manager has to change

David Moyes shows his dejection as he walks back to his team bench during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United

So, there we have it. <David Moyes is no longer the manager of Manchester United. After nine months of trials and tribulations, the successor to the great Sir Alex Ferguson was relieved of his duties as the manager of last seasons’ champions early on Tuesday morning. In all honesty, the departure of the troubled boss comes as no surprise after an awful season which sees United languishing down in seventh place in the table with their lowest points tally since the Premier League’s inception in 1992. Although they did show glimpses of what they are capable of in the Champions League, reaching the quarter final stage before being knocked out by Bayern Munich, Moyes leaves the club with the prospect of no European football next season. To add insult to injury, Moyes’ United were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions by Swansea and Sunderland, two sides who are fighting against relegation in the bottom half of the Premier League. One of the most shocking stats about his feeble reign was the fact he never selected the same starting eleven in any match as United manager. Club legend Ryan Giggs has been handed the short-term reins at Old Trafford but is unlikely to be given the job on a permanent basis. Holland manager Louis van Gaal, who is leaving his job after the World Cup, and charismatic Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp are the early front-runners for the manager’s role. But whoever is given the job, they will have plenty of re-building work to do after this disastrous campaign. Here are five things that the new Manchester United manager will have to change so they can reach the pinnacle of English football once again.

1. Get rid of the deadwood

Ashley Young never lived up to the promise after his transfer from Aston Villa

The re-building process will have to commence straight away. This United squad is packed with deadwood which needs shifting as quickly as possible if the club are to move forward. As we know, club captain Nemanja Vidic is already leaving the club, having agreed to join Inter Milan. Players such as Nani, Ashley Young and Tom Cleverley have not performed to the required standard this season and are likely to be moved on this summer whilst others such as Alexander Buttner, Anderson and Anders Lindegaard are arguably not good enough for a big club like United. The likes of Antonio Valencia, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher will have to prove to the new manager that they are worthy of their place in the squad too whilst Shinji Kagawa, Javier Hernandez and even Robin van Persie have been linked with moves away from the club all year.

2. Spend money wisely

Talents like Toni Kroos have been linked with the Red Devils in the recent past

The most worrying thing about United’s situation is the fact there isn’t just one area of the squad that needs strengthening, there are many positions that need looking at. This means that the new manager will have to learn from Moyes’ mistakes in the transfer market and spend the rumoured £200million transfer kitty he could receive very wisely. Although the strikers at the club are definitely good enough to stay, the defence and the midfield are in drastic need of a re-vamp. Players such as Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Luke Shaw have been linked all season but it remains to be seen if they can attract such talented players with no Champions League football to offer. This all means that not only will it be a very interesting summer but it is highly likely that United’s team will look very different in a few months’ time.

3. Replace the old guard with youth

With Nemanja VIdic set to leave and Rio Ferdinand in his last years at Old Trafford, Manchester United need to ably replace them

There is no doubt that the squad Moyes inherited was ageing. He was managing Ferguson’s players, who were all proven winners at the highest level but some of them needed to be moved on last summer. When the new manager takes charge, he needs to replace players like Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra and even Carrick with younger models, who can lead United to more success in the future. Although these players have been fantastic servants to the club, it is time for a new generation to come through as the old guard have shown plenty of signs of age this season. Obviously the experience of the likes of Ferdinand and Giggs are vital, but perhaps it is time for them to move permanently onto the backroom staff. The replacements should come from both within the club and through the purchase of new players. Young talents such as Danny Welbeck, Adnan Januzaj and Phil Jones have to be given regular slots in the team around star players Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and whoever is bought in the summer.

4. Needs to implement a fast-paced, incisive style

Whoever takes the reigns needs to inject more pace, power and incisiveness into United’s play whilst implementing his own style onto the side. Under Ferguson, the Red Devils were difficult to contain and were capable of dominating a game against any opposition whilst also being lethal on the counter-attack. But in recent months, with Moyes in charge, their play has been so predictable, slow and easy to defend against, something which just isn’t associated with United teams. The Scot was far too reactive, scared to go out and dominate a game, instead being more worried about finding ways to stop the opposition from scoring. This has to change under the new man and the fast-paced style United are famed for has to return.

5. Be the boss

Many felt Moyes couldn’t put his feet down properly in the Manchester United dressing room

You got the feeling that the players were in no way scared of Moyes like they were Ferguson, something which undoubtedly had an adverse effect on their on-field performances. Whether it is Van Gaal, Klopp or whoever, the new manager has to have that ‘fear-factor’ that Ferguson used to have. He also can’t be afraid of making big decisions and has to be capable of taking calculated risks that will benefit the club.

One of the new man’s first key decisions will be choosing the right man to replace the outgoing Vidic as club captain. Whether that will be Rooney remains to be seen, but whoever gets the armband next season has to be a leader both on and off the pitch.