Moyes in trouble

By :  t.n.raghu
Update: 2013-12-08 08:05 GMT
The Toffees hadn't defeated United away since 1992. But the long wait ended with Everton's 1-0 win over the Red Devils on Wednesday United have lost their aura with the retirement of Ferguson. The hot seat at United requires a winner and not someone whose trophy cabinet is full of space.
 
Roberto Martinez has done in his first outing what David Moyes couldn't do in 11 years as Everton boss: beating Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Toffees hadn't defeated United away in the league since 1992. But the long wait ended with Everton's 1-0 win over the Red Devils, now managed by Moyes, on Wednesday . Another telling statistic is the failure of Moyes to beat the big four -Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United -in 46 away matches when he was at the helm of Everton. One positive result has ended years of agony for the Goodison Park faithful.
 
The ever-thoughtful Martinez drove home the importance of the long-awaited win. “It was more than a football game for us. It was trying to get over the mental block of many, many years,“ the Spaniard added. There had been doubts at Goodison Park earlier this season regarding Martinez's readiness to manage a big club. The early verdict isn't discouraging for the former Wigan boss as Everton sit fifth, four places above Manchester United, after 14 matches.

Meanwhile, Moyes is fast losing his grip at Old Trafford with each passing match. Even a true-blue United fan wouldn't fancy the title chances of his team at this stage. If trailing early pace setters Arsenal by 12 points isn't enough, the manager's inability to inspire confidence is proving to be a graver problem. With Robin van Persie, the trump card in Alex Ferguson's title winning team last season, grappling with his once-familiar injury woes, United's starting line-up is clearly short on class.

United have lost the aura with the retirement of Ferguson. It was indeed remarkable that the fiery old man was able to win the league comfortably with almost the same squad that is at the disposal of Moyes. Everyone knew that it would be impossible for the former Everton manager to start delivering trophies straightaway but the way United have fallen off the pace so early in the season has set the alarm bells ringing. Moyes must already have realised the difficulty in managing a club whose ambitions are strikingly different.

The British press, both broadsheets and the bloodbaying tabloids, are ready to pounce on the hapless Moyes who has become a sitting duck. A couple of more defeats will make the Scot's position untenable. Don't bet against a return of the wily Ferguson, now a regular at the Old Trafford stands, to steer the United ship out of choppy waters this season. The United hot seat requires a winner and not someone whose trophy cabinet is full of space.

 

Similar News