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When David Moyes arrived at Manchester United in 2013, he put pen to paper on a lucrative six-year contract. If Moyes had remained with the Red Devils, that contract would have expired today. But of course, as all football fans know, the former Everton manager departed Old Trafford long before the end of his official contract.
His reign at United got off to an appalling start with a 1-0 defeat to a Thai Premier League all-stars team in pre-season.
Once competitive play began, things only got worse. A series of home defeats, as well as a humiliating 4-1 drubbing by rivals Manchester City, saw United suffering a terrible start to the season, languishing in 9th place after 15 games.
The defence was a shambles, the attacking line was toothless, his star signings had flopped, and the fans were furious, launching protest campaigns in the stands. It was hardly a surprise when Moyes departed the club in April 2014, barely 10 months after signing that six-year contract.
It was never going to be easy for Moyes, who was tasked with filling the shoes of Sir Alex Ferguson, a man who had served 26 years with United filling a trophy cabinet along the way. Former United legends including Denis Law argued that Moyes should have been given more time, and with the continued poor performances at United since his departure, perhaps there's an argument to say Moyes was dismissed too quickly.
But looking at Moyes's record since departing from United, it does seem he had lost his touch. Since leaving the Red Devils, he has failed to make his mark at Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham. It seems he is a shadow of the man who won multiple LMA Manager of the Year awards with Everton.
For United fans, the Moyes era was a nightmare, but it was the beginning of a long spell of misery for the Red Devils, who would have much more hardship to endure over the coming seasons, not least watching rivals Manchester City win numerous trophies whilst their own club struggled under the likes of Van Gaal and Mourinho.
