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“The Club would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role.”
So sounded the death-knell drawing to a close David Moyes’ thoroughly dispiriting Manchester United career. As far as previous-employer references go, you’d be hard pressed to find one more wilfully indescriptive. In fact, a swelling chasm of tacit disappointment, surrounding the whole caper of Moyes’ Old Trafford reign, exists behind the skimpy sentence of a statement.
Yet, perhaps the Scot’s reputation isn’t irreparably dismantled. Moyes still has over a decade of Premier League experience with Everton to which he will probably, and quite wisely, dedicate the majority of his CV, a tenure now resoundingly shown to be around about his level.
Spurs, you would think, occupy the uppermost end across the spectrum of realistic job prospects available to Moyes. Yet, think again and you would likely conclude that the Lilywhites are above Moyes, based on several factors. Undoubtedly, most would be an improvement on the inexperienced Tim Sherwood but when Andre Villas-Boas took over prior to the previous campaign, you got a sense of the direction in which Daniel Levy was looking to take Spurs.
Man United attempted a whopping 81 crosses against Fulham, the most of any Premier League team in a single match this season.
It was a sexy, eye-catching and European brand of football, one more marketable on the global stage, which was the ambition, something the single-minded attacking approach Moyes has often undertaken this season seems so much less than conducive of. The relentlessly aggressive slashes of red, green and yellow on the above attempted crosses graphic suitably convey the sheer frustration felt by onlooking United fans watching Fulham eventually hold their blunted attack to a 2-2 draw.
Man Utd’s Away Record – PL 2013/14
One positive record Moyes can take away from his time spent at the helm of the reigning champions, however, is an away record inferior only to the current league leaders, Liverpool. For this reason, maybe a move to Aston Villa, themselves known as tricky travellers, might suit the ex-Everton boss. Villa have, in fact, lost more games at home, 10, than they have away, 7.
Fans of the Villans currently find themselves following one of the most confusing sides in the division. Following a shock 1-0 triumph over Chelsea, they are now on a run of five games without a win. However, the midlands-based side are in possession of pace and physicality among their players, and a counter-attacking mentality that, should they avoid the drop, will have proved crucial in garnering enough points to ensure survival, and saw them run a hapless Steven Gerrard ragged during the first half of their 2-2 draw against the Reds.
Newcastle are currently rock-bottom of the Premier League form rankings.
Most likely among this list of mooted destinations, though, is Newcastle, the current bookies’ favourites.
A mid-table club that, as demonstrated a couple seasons ago, have the potential to at least be in the fight for a European qualification spot, Newcastle are currently unhappy with manager Alan Pardew, whose side have tasted defeat in six of the seven games played since the Magpies boss headbutted David Meyler at the KC Stadium – an incident that will work against him should results not pick up soon.
Certainly, Moyes represents a more stable personality than does Pardew and, should he end up in the north-east some time soon, would expect to operate on a similar budget to the kind he became familiar with at Everton.
It will not be the case of beckoning greatness signalled when Sir Alex Ferguson told Moyes he would be the next manager of arguably the greatest football club in the land, but he was at one point a highly reputable manager. He may have been the subject of waves of derisory memes, quips and damning infographics over the past season, but there is little reason to bear any ill wishes toward the ex-Man United boss for most. Wherever, he eventually ends up, it is impossible to imagine him having to experience the same type of intense scrutiny. And anyway, it couldn’t go any worse, could it?
