Why is it all going wrong at Manchester United?

It has been a peculiar first few months at the Old Trafford helm for David Moyes. Records have been broken but not in the manner that Man United fans are used to. Newcastle got their first win at the home of the champions since 1972 in the week that Everton triumphed at the same ground following a 21 year wait.

It was the first time United had suffered back-to-back home defeats since the end of the 2001/02 season, a campaign disrupted by Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to postpone his retirement. The Everton result must have been particularly galling for the manager, coming as it did after eight games undefeated and following an 11 year spell at Goodison in which a win at Old Trafford eluded him.

While Moyes undoubtedly has time on his side, it is almost impossible to imagine his first half a season could have gone much worse. A decline was inevitable following the departure of perhaps the greatest manager in the history of the game but few predicted the difference in quality would be quite so pronounced. Instead of scoring late goals and savaging games as has so often been the case in recent years, United are conceding them and throwing away points.

Ferguson, with the aid of David Gill, usually conducted his transfer business under a veil of secrecy. Ed Woodward, Gill’s replacement, spent the summer desperately attempting to recruit players without any kind of method or subtlety. The results were inevitable.

It was akin to a desperate man exposing himself to women in the park then mystified as to his lack of success with the ladies. The sole addition to the squad was Marouane Fellaini, at a wildly inflated price. The midfielder has started poorly, as though the transfer fee is something of an albatross, and Moyes will hope his former Everton charge can find his form sooner rather than later.

But there are some positives for Moyes and Man United, Wayne Rooney seems positively buoyed by the departure of Ferguson, a man with whom he had a fractious relationship at best. Danny Welbeck is finally backing the performances up with composure in front of goal while Adnan Januzaj has been nothing short of a revelation, the most complete footballer at his age to emerge since Cristiano Ronaldo.

The team topped their Champions League group without losing a game, overcame Arsenal at Old Trafford, and, against Stoke and Hull, produced comebacks reminiscent of the glory days of yesteryear.

United still have a winning mentality and an ability to produce performances when it matters most. If Moyes can somehow keep Rooney and Robin van Persie fit, and invest in a midfielder or two in the coming weeks then the second half of his first season at the club could be a lot more enjoyable than the first.