5 reasons why Man United should not have sacked David Moyes

Manchester United announced today that David Moyes was relieved of his duties as their manager. In a two-line statement on Tuesday the club said it “would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role”. The news has been greeted with mixed reactions. And while there might be a hundred reasons for why Manchester United should have sacked Moyes, we have five strong reasons why the decision is wrong. Not enough time to fill massive boots: Ten months to fill a role that was occupied by a larger-than-life manager for 27 years? Not just miserly, it sounds unjust. Moyes has spoken of how his face drained of blood when he was told that he is the next United manager. Was he given the choice to take the job (not that anyone would not take it if given the chance) or was it thrust upon  him in a way Alex Ferguson has always thrust his decisions on people? It always seemed the job was too big for someone who has never managed such a big club (no disrespect for Everton, but United are a different ball game). [caption id=“attachment_1491689” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  David Moyes was sacked as Man Utd manager after 10 months in charge. Getty Images[/caption] If he was given a six-year contract, then he should have been given the time to find his feet. Just like players, managers cannot fulfill their potential in just one season — just like anyone in any new role, they need time. There have only ever been four men who have won this championship with more than one club in 126 years of English league history. Adapting is clearly not easy. And 10 months is just not enough. Misfiring Van Persie and inheriting a squad whose time was up: Was this a secret? Rebuilding United’s squad has been an ongoing discussion over the last three or four years. Even Ferguson was a bit slow to grasp on the situation that this team was not good enough and had gaps in midfield. That they still won the title is down to his managerial capabilities and one big factor — Robin van Persie’s form. The Dutchman was given all the opportunities to fire away this time too but it simply didn’t happen. If Van Persie ‘didn’t want to play for Moyes’, does that mean it’s Moyes’ fault or RVP’s unprofessional behaviour? As teams lost out in the title race last year, they came back stronger and better this season. United just sat thinking a title-winning team can win titles again — and that is not one man’s fault. The timing: The season is already lost and just when it was thought that Moyes will get the summer to rebuild, he’s been fired. What change will it bring? It reeks of insensitivity and a lack of planning. If action was to be taken, it should have been taken a few months ago when United still had a chance of fighting for a place in Europe. Ryan Giggs has been installed for now with no guarantees of whether he will stay on as manager next year too. This decision does nothing to clear the uncertainty around United — it simple increases it. Bad years and bad transfers happen in sport: You keep hearing, ‘but this team won the title last year’. So what? Manchester City won a title in the previous year and finished 11 points behind United last season (even they sacked their manager). Why can’t people accept the fact that bad years happen in sport? You cannot win every season — there are highs and lows. And this is where a club is tested — a perfect example would be Brendan Rodgers who has transformed his team from seventh to almost-champions this season. How would that have happened if he was sacked last year? If Juan Mata and RVP happened, so do signings like Marouane Fellaini and Juan Sebastian Veron. Bad transfers and bad years happen in sport. Change in chief executive: Ed Woodward and Moyes are in this together. When Moyes came in, he had a list of targets that he may have had even at Everton. It is Woodward’s duty to convince him that bigger and better deals can happen at United. If Moyes was clueless what to do with all the cash, then it is Woodward’s duty to make sure it is used well and on time. Ferguson credits a lot of his success on former chief executives Martin Edwards and David Gill — believe it or not, these suits are in this together and Woodward has completely failed Moyes in a transition year. And if United really thought that Ferguson’s backroom staff should have been kept, it was a simple matter of putting a clause in Moyes’ contract. He would never refuse taking over at United just because he couldn’t bring in Jimmy Lumsden and Steve Round. Follow the writer on Twitter @TheFalseNo9