Perhaps the biggest indictment of Louis van Gaal’s current situation is that the David Moyes era isn’t looking quite so bad any more.
After 26 games this season Van Gaal’s side have 41 points and have scored 33 goals.
At the same point of Moyes’ season in charge, the club had 42 points and had scored eight more goals.
Not that history needs to be re-written. That Van Gaal’s United are currently weak and insipid is no reason to re-write the facts of Moyes’ brief tenure.
But blame is a different issue.
The man who succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson was on Goals on Sunday this morning and it was pretty clear that he feels Ed Woodward was the man who prevented him doing the job to the best of his ability.
Woodward succeeded David Gill as chief executive the same summer Moyes arrived and, if the former Everton manager’s account is to be believed, there were clear teething problems as the accountant tried to find his feet in his new role.
“There was a new chief executive in place. David Gill had left which was a real big thing for Manchester United. He was someone who was very important to the club and to how things ticked along at the club.
“I actually got told I was getting the job in April but I wasn’t able to take charge until July 1, so there was a period of time there which shouldn’t have been allowed. I should have gone into the job immediately.”
Why the delay?
“I have no idea. It was Manchester United’s decision that it would happen on the first of July, which didn’t please Everton or Bill Kenwright or anybody.
“That was the way it was, so it meant that we had a very short period on the transfer window and then January as well.
“Manchester United are always in for the top players. We were in for the top players at the time. We didn’t get them. Manchester United were in for the top players recently and they’ll be in for them again this year.”
It was then put to Moyes that Woodward finding his feet in the job was the root cause of their failure to land key transfer targets.
“I think you need to understand football totally to know. I think David Gill was someone who understands everything. And I think him and Sir Alex Ferguson had such a good relationship together that it really helped that club work.”
The clear inference from Moyes being that Woodward is an arriviste accountant, not a 'Football Man.'
— Paul Morrissey (@Paul_Morrissey) February 14, 2016
“The reason I lost my job at Manchester United was that I didn’t win enough games. But I think I was unfairly treated that you don’t get the time to do the job.”
And Moyes insisted that that he wouldn’t do anything differently if he was to take the job again, except perhaps realise that time may not be on your side if things are fgoing wrong at Old Trafford.
“No, I wouldn’t. I think if I knew I was only going to have 10 months and not six years I might not have taken my time. There was never any rush to do anything because I had six years to do the job. It was going to take a little bit of time to change things round. There was rebuilding to be done. I was fortunate to take over the champions from Sir Alex Ferguson but I think that team had probably had its journey and was going to need change.”
