Moyes should not be shielded by so-called tradition of remaining patient

by Joe Cawley, StrettyNews Original Article here

A lingering argument against sacking David Moyes five years before his contract ends is that as Manchester United, we don’t sack managers. This statement, understandably, is used to portray us as a club of class, patience and dignity, unlike the many trigger-happy clubs in England, but unfortunately it is a statement that is completely out of synch with modern football.

Those who sack their manager without giving them any chance, (Cardiff, West Brom, Fulham to name just a few) deserve to fail, and usually will. Those who sack their manager despite success, (Mancini a year after winning the title for the first time since 1968, Di Matteo after winning Chelsea’s first European cup), stench of a lack of class, so it is reasonable to not want to be seen in this bracket. But after such a poor season, with no glimmer of hope, and with a manager so obviously out of his depth, we need to break our so called ‘tradition’.

Tradition? How do we know after 27 years of a genius? For many fans, this is the only manager in their lifetime. For others, it seems like a lifetime ago. After Ferguson motivated the exact same squad to a league title by eleven points, it is preposterous to suggest that he too would have struggled this year. He may have taken his eye off the ball a little, not replacing his midfield despite having talent like Pogba in the reserves, and he could certainly have spoken out against the Glazers more, but the man was a genius and should take no responsibility for the team’s trials this year. Even the Glazers, after raping our resources for so long whilst the others stock-pile players after unnecessary players, have funded two big name signings and Rooney’s mammoth contract. There is only one person to blame for the current crisis. If this was Barcelona, the respected ‘more than a club’, the white handkerchiefs would have been out ages ago.

It is generally agreed that Mark Robins’ solitary goal at the City Ground in January 1990 saved Fergie’s job. There had been ‘three years of excuses and it was still crap’. The tradition of not sacking managers would therefore mean that Moyes has got another two years of crap before we say ‘ta ra’, but these circumstances today are incredibly different.

Ferguson was already a proven winner after breaking the Glasgow duopoly and winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup. On his arrival he had to reinvent a club in the doldrums, low on confidence and with a poor mentality. Moyes blames an ageing squad, but this is a squad nonetheless of champions. It was always going to be a poisoned chalice for whoever got the job but it required a winner. Martinez won the FA Cup last year, beating Moyes’ Everton along the way, and consequently is succeeding in Moyes’ stead.

It was also a poisoned chalice for whoever would replace Sir Matt Busby when he quit in 1969. Reserve team coach Wilf McGuinness lasted a season and a half, reverting back to the reserves in December 1970 for Busby to take over once more. Leicester’s Frank O’Farrell was the next to fail nor be given much time, reigning from June 1971 to December 1972. The idea that Moyes should be given until Christmas is illogical because that would mean that the next manager would have to manager Moyes’ players. He must go in the summer.

In December 1972, Tommy Docherty was installed and, despite overseeing relegation, got United playing attractive football and winning trophies until he committed adultery with physio Laurie Brown’s wife. QPR’s Dave Sexton then had from July 1977 to April 1981, followed by West Brom’s Ron Atkinson until November 1986. Though hardly hasty with the axe, United weren’t particularly sticking by their manager either with five in 12 years and two only lasting 18 months.

This was in-line with the day. Those who were successful, Liverpool, Revie’s Leeds and Clough’s Nottingham Forest, obviously kept the same manager but the 1970s and ‘80s were more patient times. Chairmen and fans were less demanding, especially with the lack of 24-hour sports reports documenting every slip or fumble. United had a tradition that was similar to most in terms of patience with managers.

From 1969 to 1986 (Busby to Ferguson), Arsenal had four managers (plus a caretaker), Everton had four (plus two caretakers), Tottenham and Aston Villa had five, and West Ham only had two in the form of Greenwood and Lyall. Unsurprisingly perhaps, City and Chelsea had ten and nine respectively, suggesting they have been happy to change even before the days of impatient oligarchs with more money than sense.

Moyes has lost the players, as they don’t respect him. He is defensive and conservative, with little tactical nous and a lack of foresight in the transfer market. He talks us down as a team who need to aim towards Manchester City, a team we beat to the league by 11 points last season. A lot of his key weaknesses are inbuilt, innate characteristics that will never change. He is out of his depth and needs to go. Our spirited performances against Bayern Munich may have given him at least another year but the praise of gutsy efforts was similar in vein to the compliments underdogs get, and we should never be underdogs.

The idea that Mourinho would have been the wrong choice because he would have won some trophies for a season or two and then left us in the lurch is as outdated as the theory that we don’t sack managers. We needed a winner and someone big enough for the job. The job is too big for Moyes and for a change in our fortunes, we need a change in our mentality towards sacking managers.