David Moyes appears to have finally been put out of his misery after the latest embarrassing display as unconfirmed reports claim he is to be sacked.
It has been speculated since before Christmas that he would be dismissed due to his tactical inability, his lack of personality and his general denial that anything seems to be wrong. It’s finally likely to be drawn to a close this week to finish a forgettable chapter in United’s Premier League History.
As another inept display from a directionless United team is reflected upon by their millions of fans world-wide, it is time to consider the gulf in class between last year’s Champions and the current top six in the Premier League.
The Everton performance ranks alongside the worst of the season, and despite having more possession, it doesn’t mean a great deal when there is no attacking intent, threat, or end product. The team selection was once again bizarre, but it’s been symptomatic of every game against those placed higher. It unfortunately highlights the ineptitude of Moyes from a tactical perspective that he has only managed one slender victory against any members of the top six in the league this season.
Liverpool
(A) 0-1 – Sturridge scored early on in a game where United failed to create a single chance as the season got underway, a performance that was a clear indication of what was to come.
(H) 0-3 – Two Gerrard penalties and a Suarez goal heaped more misery on the Old Trafford faithful as Liverpool completed a simple double over their former biggest rivals.
Chelsea
(H) 0-0 – Mourinho set his team up to draw and the game was suffocated as a result, as it turns out, if he’d tried to get the three points he probably wouldn’t have been overly troubled.
(A) 1-3 – A Samuel Eto hat-trick within the first 50 minutes meant the game was finished before United even knew what was going on. They did score though which has been a rarity against the better sides.
Man City
(A) 1-4 – A complete mis-match at the Etihad in the early season was the second of United’s losses. It was largely attributed to injuries by many, but as we have seen, that really wasn’t the cause here.
(H) 0-3 – Another gulf in class against their neighbours was in evidence here in a match that will also be remembered for Moyes’ embarrassingly inept performance in post-match interviews.
Arsenal
(H) 1-0 – United’s only victory over a top 6 side came when they shaded a dull affair against the one time leaders.
(A) 0-0 – Another toothless display which was tiring to watch. Lots of sideways passes and little goal mouth action made this game unrecognizable as a match between United and Arsenal.
Everton
(H) 0-1 – A great game ended with a late winner for Everton as they out passed and out thought United in their own back yard.
(A) 0-2 – Yesterdays performance was the first time Everton have done the double over United for 44 years. Another record.
Tottenham
(A) 2-2 – United fell two behind but showed rare character as Rooney scored a brace to take a point away from White Hart Lane.
(H) 1-2 – A dramatic victory for Tottenham despite a decent United performance. But the outcome was still the same.
Overall
Played 12
Won 1
Drawn 3
Lost 8
Scored 6
Conceded 21
Points 6
Goal Difference – 15
Not since perhaps 1988/89 has there been anything close to this in terms of performances, goals scored and points accumulated. These games represent a huge shift in power since Moyes has taken the reigns, a shift that could never have been predicted despite the initial acknowledgement of the requirement for time. Moyes is done.
