David Moyes: The journey so far

The Everton Era

It was only a matter of time before a bigger club came down and lured Moyes away from Deepdale and that club happened to be Everton. For a club stricken with monetary issues for his entire tenure, Moyes has managed to work miracles at the club. Moyes’ initial objective at the club was to save them from losing their place in the top flight of the Premier League. Everton finished 15th in the season he took over. Moyes took the summer to induce his way of working and the following season proved largely fruitful with Everton finishing 7th in the league.

The 2003-04 season proved to be quite a hiccup for Everton, as they were placed 17th in the league at the end of the season. Having earned a lot of praise for his work done with the team in their previous campaign, the Everton faithful had hopes of doing even better but the season proved ugly for them, managing just 9 league victories. Following the Euros, their top league goal scorer for the 2003-04 campaign left for Manchester United, a move which left plenty of people doubting the progress of the club.

Everton kept their faith in Moyes and the following season proved one hell of a step up. Answering most critics and more importantly repaying the faith, Moyes led Everton to their most successful campaign in Premier League history by placing fourth and earning the immensely coveted Champions League (Qualification) Spot. This season was important in one certain other aspect: Everton placed above Liverpool in the league standings, which gave the fans the bragging rights they longed for.

The seasons to follow proved to be more of a statement from Moyes and the club. Apart from the 2005-06 season in which they placed 11th, Everton have managed to find comfort in the top half of the table ever since. Placing consistently between the 5th and 8th positions in the next 7 years, Moyes managed to mould a setup of coaches and an ideal mix of players both young and old that brought an air of stability to the club. The owners and fans alike, were pleased and why wouldn’t they be.

Moyes loved the club and the club loved him but it was only a matter of time before either the Moyes or the club moved on to bigger things and in this instance, it was Moyes who took the step forward.

“It’s emotional because it’s the last time I walk away from these players but part of the job is you move on. It’s rare to stay in a job for 11 years and I’m thankful for getting that opportunity and hopeful they’re in a strong position to push on. It’s really not sunk in.” –David Moyes, May 19th, 2013.

The Manchester Move

“We unanimously agreed on David Moyes. David is a man of great integrity with a strong work ethic. I’ve admired his work for a long time and approached him as far back as 1998 to discuss the position of assistant manager here.

“There is no question he has all the qualities we expect of a manager at this club.”- Sir Alex Ferguson

A new challenge beckoned when Sir Alex Ferguson decided to step down from the managerial reins at Old Trafford. Ferguson’s successor had been a subject of detailed speculation for many years with no definite answer. One thing was certain, that there was bound to be a new face at The Theatre of Dreams. May 9th, 2013 was the day, Manchester United announced that one such David Moyes would be that new face. Personally picked by Ferguson himself, David Moyes has now set out on a new chapter in his managerial life, an experience that will test him beyond anything he has been through so far.

The Man and the Moment

“It’s a great honor to be asked to be the next manager of Manchester United.

I am delighted that Sir Alex saw fit to recommend me for the job. I have great respect for everything he has done and for the football club.

I know how hard it will be to follow the best manager ever, but the opportunity to manage Manchester United isn’t something that comes around very often and I’m really looking forward to taking up the post next season.”- David Moyes

Moyes has been presented with one of the rarest opportunities in the world and everyone seems to have an opinion on how he would do at the new club. I’ll leave the debating out of this but what people should realise is that Manchester United have got David Moyes, a man who has earned the respect of millions all around the world, a hardworking, passionate and immensely talented man to lead the club now. Only time will tell how well United and Moyes have gelled, but irrespective of how things work out, David Moyes certainly one to be much more appreciated.