ooking at how Manchester United played last season, you’d be excused if you thought another team was playing on the pitch. People were so accustomed to United winning at least the Premier League title that seeing them without one last year was a bit of a shock. Just last year, United was able to win the Premiership behind Sir Alex Ferguson’s always masterful guidance. However, that year also proved to be Sir Alex’s last with the club. Everton manager David Moyes was tabbed to succeed Ferguson but could never live up to the club and its fans’ expectations. He was sacked after the club’s abysmal showing in both the Premier League and the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League.
The Successor
Pundits and fans alike have singled out Moyes as the reason why the club was losing but it was really a combination of several different factors. Sir Alex Ferguson’s 26 years as United’s manager had produced 13 Premier League titles which is a wall that’s hard to scale even for the most accomplished of individuals. Moyes, a Scotsman like Ferguson was tabbed to manage the club due to his success as Everton’s manager. He earned a reputation as a team builder with his numerous player acquisitions that helped Everton become one of Premierships competitive teams.
Star Problems
The situation at Manchester United was a little different though. The Scotsman was set to reunite with Wayne Rooney who turned pro at Everton but left in 2004 after numerous controversies. The two men had not been on the best of terms following Rooney’s allegation in his book published in 2006 that Moyes had left him out to dry in Everton. Moyes then filed a libel suit against his former player that saw Rooney apologize and pay a total of £50000 for legal fees and damages. At the time Moyes was set to takeover in United, Rooney was in limbo following the acquisition of Robin van Persie who also plays the forward position. Although Rooney opted to stay in the end, the tension and stir created wasn’t able to help the team in its preparations for the next season.
Moving Forward
After just 10 months of running the club and four games till the end of the season, David Moyes was let go. Louis Van Gaal was chosen as his permanent replacement on May 19, 2014. Van Gaal recently led the Netherlands team to a third place finish in the Brazil World Cup and had also managed a Bayern Munich team that was able to win the Bundesliga in 2009-10. The Reds other notable acquisitions are Angel di Maria from Real Madrid (£ 59.7 million transfer), Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao (£ 29 million), and Luke Shaw from Southampton (£ 27 m). With a renewed commitment from Rooney, the Reds certainly have the tools to bounce back from the disappointing end of last season. As of this writing, after 7 games in the Premier League season they are currently off to a great start. After winning the opener, the club has now won 5 of its matches and is currently on 4-game win streak after two draws. Yes, it seems that as of now Manchester United is on the right track.
