billycopper
Player Valuation: £40m
1. Muelensteen was going to go anyway because SAF was a hands-off coach in contrast to Moyes and it would have significantly reduced his role. But I think that Davey should have kept hold of Phelan. Replacing him with two former players with next to no coaching experience between them didn't make any sense.
2. It seems like Moyes thought he could sign anyone because he was at United. Surely all he had to do was make informal enquiries about the availability of Fabregas and Alcantara and he would have known pretty much instantly whether it was worth persuing his interest. But in true Moyes still he tried to force his will and lost valuable time securing more attainable targets.
3. Rooney reportedly asked United to sign Ozil and was told that he wasn't needed.
4. I think Davey bought Fellaini because he wanted a marquee signing without really thinking how he was going to use him. Fella regards himself as a defensive midfielder and it is an area where United are lacking, but he's hardly played there in the last couple of years and he doesn't have the legs to get across the ground quickly. They could do with someone like McCarthy to do the running for him but why then pay £27m for a Gareth Barry-a-like when you have Carrick in your side?
5. The balance of the side is wrong. Smalling isn't a right back, Vidic is no longer a powerhouse and Evans doesn't have the pace or the reading of the game to cover for his colleagues. The wingers don't have the necessary skill or deliver and they have no creativity in midfield.
6. Moyes isn't cute enough with his tactics. It's too easy to counter-attack United and they struggle to break teams down. I think he's trying to demonstrate that he's attacking and entertaining by going 4-4-2 but it's leaving them far too open. He'd probably be better sticking with 4-2-3-1 and having Rooney in the hole flanked by Januzaj and Kagawa.
7. Perhaps under Ferguson the players thought that the club were going to be successful no matter what and if they didn't perform they would be out. But the way that everyone has asked for Moyes to be given time meant that ambitions were lowered and they could afford to take their foot off the gas a little bit.
8. Why should the fear factor suddenly have gone? Maybe because SAF intimidated opposition managers (and in turn their players), the officials and even his own players. Moyes knows that he is trying to get his feet under the table and if a player turns around and asks why he should listen all Davey really has is a fourth-placed finish and an FA Cup final to come back at them with.
9. Van Persie wasn't in the greatest of form before his injury lay-off and rushing him back has probably prolonged it.
10. Davey is undoubtedly under huge pressure. Nearly all the players there have only ever known being top of the pile and it will be a bewildering and frustrating experience to find themselves where they are. It's a key period for players like Smalling, Cleverley, Kagawa and Wellbeck and the flip side of point number 7 is that they might be trying too hard and not playing their natural game.
Moyes' natural inclination is to be cautious but maybe Fergie mentored him that you can't win silverware by playing for draws? I think sooner or later he'll have to abandon the idea of playing flair football and concentrate on making them hard to beat. They've scored against every side apart from us, Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea, so they should be able to manage some narrow wins to push them up the table and buy the manager some time until the summer, when he can take stock.
It wouldn't surprise me if they won the Carling Cup and that acted as a catalyst. They do need a bit of a shake up though.
2. It seems like Moyes thought he could sign anyone because he was at United. Surely all he had to do was make informal enquiries about the availability of Fabregas and Alcantara and he would have known pretty much instantly whether it was worth persuing his interest. But in true Moyes still he tried to force his will and lost valuable time securing more attainable targets.
3. Rooney reportedly asked United to sign Ozil and was told that he wasn't needed.
4. I think Davey bought Fellaini because he wanted a marquee signing without really thinking how he was going to use him. Fella regards himself as a defensive midfielder and it is an area where United are lacking, but he's hardly played there in the last couple of years and he doesn't have the legs to get across the ground quickly. They could do with someone like McCarthy to do the running for him but why then pay £27m for a Gareth Barry-a-like when you have Carrick in your side?
5. The balance of the side is wrong. Smalling isn't a right back, Vidic is no longer a powerhouse and Evans doesn't have the pace or the reading of the game to cover for his colleagues. The wingers don't have the necessary skill or deliver and they have no creativity in midfield.
6. Moyes isn't cute enough with his tactics. It's too easy to counter-attack United and they struggle to break teams down. I think he's trying to demonstrate that he's attacking and entertaining by going 4-4-2 but it's leaving them far too open. He'd probably be better sticking with 4-2-3-1 and having Rooney in the hole flanked by Januzaj and Kagawa.
7. Perhaps under Ferguson the players thought that the club were going to be successful no matter what and if they didn't perform they would be out. But the way that everyone has asked for Moyes to be given time meant that ambitions were lowered and they could afford to take their foot off the gas a little bit.
8. Why should the fear factor suddenly have gone? Maybe because SAF intimidated opposition managers (and in turn their players), the officials and even his own players. Moyes knows that he is trying to get his feet under the table and if a player turns around and asks why he should listen all Davey really has is a fourth-placed finish and an FA Cup final to come back at them with.
9. Van Persie wasn't in the greatest of form before his injury lay-off and rushing him back has probably prolonged it.
10. Davey is undoubtedly under huge pressure. Nearly all the players there have only ever known being top of the pile and it will be a bewildering and frustrating experience to find themselves where they are. It's a key period for players like Smalling, Cleverley, Kagawa and Wellbeck and the flip side of point number 7 is that they might be trying too hard and not playing their natural game.
Moyes' natural inclination is to be cautious but maybe Fergie mentored him that you can't win silverware by playing for draws? I think sooner or later he'll have to abandon the idea of playing flair football and concentrate on making them hard to beat. They've scored against every side apart from us, Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea, so they should be able to manage some narrow wins to push them up the table and buy the manager some time until the summer, when he can take stock.
It wouldn't surprise me if they won the Carling Cup and that acted as a catalyst. They do need a bit of a shake up though.
