The David Moyes Debate

Last updated : 09 July 2013 By Denis O'Dwyer

I have been privy to some of these heated confrontations (down the pub) in recent days, where the general opinion of non United fans in this part of the world is that David Moyes is not United Quality. 

Lets just see what we do actually know about the new man at the helm of Manchester United....

He’s a Scotsman.  The last fellow was also a Scot, and we didn’t fare too badly with him.

Tommy Docherty was also a Scot and he won a trophy too!He has got a serious work ethic.  Now Moyes is not an exotic beast like a Mourinho, an Ancelotti or a Hiddink but more of a domesticated animal not exactly renowned for United-esque style, flair & attacking fitba.  But Everton didn’t play an unattractive style of football, but they did play to their strengths.  And they had no money.  Moyes turned Everton on its head in the last decade and made it a sustainable entity in the top half of the Premiership. They didn’t win a trophy but that is in an era in which Wenger did not win one either.

That is in an era when the unfathomable millions of Roman & Sheik Mansour had infiltrated the premier league & money was thrown around like confetti from the Blue Billlionaires of Manchester & London. David Moyes kept Everton in touch with those teams, and made them into Banana Skin artists, always capable of bringing the runs of Juggernauts like Chelsea, City & United to a halt.

So theres a will and a sheer determination about him. Sound familiar??

Moyes has extreme attention to detail. So with the right ingredients, a little dab of this, and a little splash of that, he should be producing tasty, flavoursome & power packed performances in no time.

Remember he turned Everton from a greasy chippie into an upmarket Cafe, with no superstar ingredients. Now he’s been given his own Michelin Star Restaurant with the best organic produce at his disposal! And the buying power to bring in some different flavours to an already impressive menu! Admittedly, it does need a little bulking up around the middle though!

He was born across the river from Fergie in Glasgow, but it seems that he has also been forged from the same steel as in those shipyards that Fergie said shaped a generation of Glaswegians.

Moyes was the League Managers Association Manager of the year 3 times in his time at Everton. With no trophies! He must have been doing something rightly impressive for his contemporaries to vote him in 3 times.  No other Manager has won it more times apart from Ferguson.

Its important Moyes gets to put his mark on the squad with a few good additions like Alcantara & Baines. So the established United players can see that he can bring a different dimension to their style.   The author is happy that Fergie, Bobby & Co. made an informed decision on this appointment, and can’t wait for the transfer news that the coming days are going to bring!

 

6th July 2013 David  ‘STEELY’ Moyes first United Press Conference.

David Moyes tells a packed press conference that Wayne Rooney is not for sale, and that he has been training “fantastically well”.  Nemanja Vidic, who attended the press conference with Moyes, also told the waiting journalists that Roooney is in the best shape that he’s seen him in 5 years.  Moyes said that whats in the past is now “gone” and it is time to move on, and Rooney seemingly already has because he has that “glint” in his eye in training for the past couple of days.  Thats music to our ears - a motivated Wayne Rooney! Rooney’s value has been touted in the press as being in the region of £25M. Thats on his form towards the end of last season. If Rooney hits form like he did 2 seasons ago, then his value is £50M plus.  United are only all too aware of this.

When one journalist decided to push the boundaries him by demanding to know if Rooney had ‘categorically’ informed him that he wished to stay at United,  he fashioned a tight lipped smile, but  a steely shade of determination or something akin to derision, clouded over Moyes’s eyes momentarily. 

‘I can tell you categorically that Wayne Rooney is training fantastically well, that’s all I can categorically tell you,’ he retorted. He fixed his interrogator with a hundred yard stare that transmitted confidence and confrontation, but not hostility.  Moyes had quenched a potential fire.  

If the manner of this press conference is an indication of how his reign at United will pan out, then we, as United fans can have no fear.  There were some intriguing parallels with the living legend who will now reside behind Mr. Moyes dug-out seat in the directors box!