Five points that show why Man United were too hasty in getting rid of Moyes.
Manchester United must have thought hiring Louis Van Gaal this summer was a veritable masterstroke. How could they fail with such a widely successful coach they must have thought! Many believed last season was a shambles under David Moyes, but upon closer inspection, was it really that bad? The former Everton boss had several factors going against him that the Dutchman did not have, yet by this point last term he was performing considerably better than his successor. Below are five points to illustrate why the club may have been slightly hasty in getting rid of the beleaguered Scot.
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1. Points
Louis Van Gaal arguably had an easier opening schedule that Moyes did, yet the Scot managed to bag seven points from five games that included games against Liverpool, Chelsea and eventual winners Manchester City. This term the club have faced three newly promoted sides that has seen them take just four points, with an extra one coming against Sunderland.
2. Funds
Last summer saw United make Marouane Fellaini their only significant new addition, and his form alone meant that Moyes was suddenly not trusted to operate in the transfer window. This assumption was unfair, but his January acquisition of Juan Mata only furthered this fear as he struggled to find a place for the Spaniard within his side.
These two stars may not have come cheap, but they represent a drop in the ocean compared to what Van Gaal has been allowed to spend this time around. Whether they activity was caused by panic, or whether the club really didn’t trust Moyes is debatable, but the Dutchman has been backed far more than his predecessor ever was.
3. Youth
Moyes brought through the exciting winger Adnan Januzaj when he took over and sought to mould him into the team by balancing his appearances with time on the bench as to not rush him. However, Van Gaal has yet to start the 19-year-old despite his impressive performances last season.
Instead, Van Gaal has opted to bring through centre-back Tyler Blackett. Arguably more through necessity than design, but the young defender has looked well off the pace so far and it is quite clear that he is not ready for regular first team action just yet, at least not with United. His man-handling by Jamie Vardy in Leicester’s 5-3 victory at the weekend is a testament to that.
4. Defensive issues
It may be unfair to compare how the two side’s defences have fared so far as Moyes was able to call upon the experienced too of Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, but these were players that were being routinely labelled as ‘over the hill’.
This season Van Gaal has tried to use three players at the back as he did at the World Cup, but so far to no avail. When he did switch to a back four, the team conceded five goals. Say what you will about Moyes’ line ups, but he would have made sure to not let any of his experienced players leave with adequately replacing them first – something that LVG did not heed during the transfer market.
5. Experience
Moyes was handpicked by Sir Alex Ferguson for his extensive Premier League experience with Everton. Just one Champions League play-off and one fourth-placed finish was the highlight of his C.V, yet he still managed to keep the club at the right end of the table when coming off the back of a dynasty change – put simply, it was a job that anyone would have struggled in.
Louis Van Gaal on the other hand is one of the most successful managers in the game. Having won eight league titles in four different countries and a Champions League with Ajax in 1994/95, there really shouldn’t be anything that he cannot cope with, yet he struggles to get his side to play coherently and could ultimately damage his reputation for more than Moyes did should he fail.
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