Manchester United fans haven't seen change in a long time, twenty six years in fact, and that's exactly why this interview was conducted. The great everyone loves to hate, Sir Alex Ferguson, presumably elected his successor months before he announced to a startled footballing world that he would retire at the end of last season, but still, David Moyes has entertained his fair share of hecklers.
The media have indubitably had their say on United's shakiest start in recent years and criticism of Moyes has been ubiquitous, but what do the fans think?
In the build up to Manchester United's crucial victory over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, I spoke with two dedicated reds (Jamie Fraser @jfraser92 and Adam Dolan @ASDolan16) about their thoughts on the 2013/2014 campaign so far.
It’s fair to say Manchester United’s start to the 2013/2014 campaign has been hogging the back pages of the tabloids for the wrong reasons, but David Moyes’ start to life in Manchester has been more successful than any of his predecessors since Sir Matt Busby in 1946. What do you think of the Scotsman so far and is he the right man to take you forward?
Jamie: Ever since that fateful morning on the 8th May 2013, being a Manchester United fan hasn’t been the same. To have a man who has overseen the most successful period in the club’s history retire so suddenly floored everybody in football; it’d be fair to say the majority of opposing fans revelled in the news that the old master was calling it a day, whilst us United fans began to come to grips with what would be the biggest managerial transition in modern football. Inevitably there was a colossal hole at the heart of the club, and the next manager had the near fruitless task of trying to heal the wounds and alleviate the Sir Alex withdrawal symptoms; enter David Moyes.
Any United fan will tell you that we simply haven’t been good enough this season, in terms of our performances at Old Trafford and away from home. The modern football supporter can be criticised as being spoilt and irrational, and this cannot be truer for the vast majority of United fans. The cries of ‘Moyes Out’ after less than 3 months at the helm are laughable; this is a man who has taken over (arguably) the biggest job in football for 30 years. The step up from Everton to Manchester United is gigantic, and teething problems were to be expected. Perhaps the sheer dominance we have enjoyed in the Premier League era has led many to believe we have an inherent right to win the league and everything that comes with it…
Is Moyes the right man for Manchester United? Only time will tell, and this is exactly what he deserves; time. The club is still being run under Sir Alex’s regime essentially, I am patient and believe in giving him the time to mould his own team and stamp his own authority on not only the team, but as a football club as a hole. I remain quite critical of Moyes’ summer transfer policy; I believe we needed to bring in 1 or 2 real quality signings to push on this season to remain the best team in the league. We didn’t do that. Instead we bought Fellaini (who evidently wasn’t our prime target as we let his buyout clause expire in July) and didn’t provide the competitive shake up we needed to keep the squad on their toes and ready to fight for their place week in week out.
The season is young, and we have a real acid test in terms of Premier League credentials against Arsenal this Sunday at Old Trafford. Moyes needs to quickly get accustomed to these big games, it’s where titles are won and lost, and if we again fail to beat a top team real questions will be asked (and rightly so)!
Adam: It has been tough to watch at points this season but it was expected after the departure of SAF. When you have such success for so long under a manager like Ferguson it becomes tough to watch your team struggle. I 100% think Moyes is the man to take us on from here but the key thing is that we give him time to make his own changes and fully adapt to the job he has. Some tactics have been questionable but he is finding his feet and I have every confidence in him that he will lead us to future success.
Your summer spending has also been scrutinised. How do you rate your new signings and do you think they have added anything significant to the squad?
Jamie: All summer we were linked with high profile players such as Thiago and Fabregas, and had we managed to pull off one of them I’d have been a very happy man indeed. However, we were left with Fellaini and Zaha; hardly the blockbuster summer signings we expected from Manchester United.
Zaha simply hasn’t had the platform to prove his worth having only appeared in the community shield final and a seldom run out at Old Trafford against Norwich in the Capital One Cup. Spritely and positive as these performances turned out to be, we haven’t seen enough of him to truly gauge his worth to this United team.
Fellaini on the other hand, disappointing would be putting it nicely. At Everton this man was time and time again heralded by opposition managers as being “unplayable on his day”, his physical presence and surprising attacking talent causing havoc for the Toffees. I was gobsmacked when I learnt Fellaini wanted to play defensive midfield for us, quite simply because he’s not very good at it at all! To highlight this, you only need to watch his performance against City. I have yet to watch Fellaini and be satisfied, let alone impressed.
Adam: Personally, I don’t think we spent well this summer. Fellaini was a panic buy, someone that Moyes knew and rated but not right for the squad as a whole. I give players time and will rarely judge them on their first season but I would like to see more of an impact from him considering his high price tag. Work is needed in the January window both in terms of arrivals and departures from the club.
Marouane Fellaini was Manchester United's biggest buy of the summer window at £27.5m.
Adnan Januzaj has emerged as a real talent for United and has recently signed a new five-year contract with the club. Do you see glimmers of Ronaldo in his play or is he a completely different entity?
Jamie: I was delighted to learn that Januzaj signed a long term contract for us, we have let far too many promising youngsters leave in the past when their talent was deserving of a place at Manchester United. You only need to look at the example of Paul Pogba who is now expertly applying his trade at Italian champions Juventus, and Ravel Morrison’s impressive start to life in East London with West Ham.
Do I see glimmers of Ronaldo? At the minute I would have to say no, Ronaldo was very special and a once in a generation player. However I believe if he keeps his head out of the clouds and his hard work remains focused on becoming another player, then there’s no reason why Januzaj can’t become as important for us as Ronaldo became from 2006 onwards. Some of his performances this season have been beyond those of an 18 year old, he’s been extremely impressive on the ball and his confidence is ridiculous considering his stature in the game. I’m excited to see how Januzaj develops in the squad, hopefully he’ll bring a bit of attacking flair that we’ve sorely missed since Ronaldo’s departure in 2009.
Adam: I see a young prospect with a lot of pressure on his shoulders. I think his talent is undeniable but to reach the kind of level Ronaldo is at is a tough task for him. He has all of the potential in the world but he will have to have an outstanding attitude and desire if he is to emulate the success of CR.
The 18 year-old Belgian was rewarded with a whopping £5million signing on fee. Do you feel the fee represents desperation for United, or is he really that talented?
Jamie: I suppose you could source slight desperation as a reason for this extortionate signing on fee, after all Januzaj’s only really been in the footballing spotlight for 2 months and we all know how quickly things can change in football. However I can understand why we’ve tried so hard to keep him, he is a very promising talent. Aside from his brace against Sunderland which rescued 3 points for Moyes when we were on the back of consecutive defeats in the league, Januzaj’s performances have been mightily impressive and he fits the bill as a Manchester United number 7; confident, skilful, impactful, technically gifted, and that added X factor you need to be a success at United.
Adam: I don’t think it shows desperation. We have seen a boy with huge potential and if they feel he can have a significant impact in the future then it’s the correct decision entirely.
Adnan Januzaj, 18, has emerged as a real talent for the reds this season.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s new autobiography seemed to overshadow events at the club last month. Do you agree with the comments he made about Wayne Rooney and do you feel his comments could damage Rooney’s future at the club?
Jamie: Sir Alex’s book was always going to ruffle a few feathers, you can’t be at a football club for 26 years and everything go smoothly the whole time. Many different players have spoken out and made public comments in regards to criticism, for example Keane was very upset by Ferguson’s remarks about his loyalty and made his feelings clear in the media.
Rooney had a very turbulent season last year, despite playing reasonably well. Us every day fans only see the surface manifestations of what happens at a football club, we only see these players when they’re performing on match days. If Sir Alex says that Rooney quite simply wasn’t up to standard last season and wasn’t fit enough, then who are we to say different?
Sir Alex is well aware of Rooney’s talents and knows he is one of the best strikers in Europe when he’s at the top of his game. In terms of his comments damaging Rooney’s future at the club, I don’t subscribe to that theory at all. We only need to look at Rooney’s performances for club and country this season to see how rejuvenated and motivated he is, he’s at the top of his game. Whether we see Rooney in the red of Manchester United for the seasons ahead is still a mystery to me, but in terms of the present he’s doing a remarkable job and I for one just hope he stays fit and healthy.
Adam: You only have to look at Rooney's form to see how little effect it has had on his game. I believe he will stay and be successful, but I can’t really comment on whether I agree with the comments as I don’t really know what went on behind closed doors.
The future of Shinji Kagawa has also been frequently discussed in the media. He’s a top player, but does he fit the mould of a Manchester United player?
Jamie: There’s no doubt in my mind that Shinji is an awesome player, you only need to look at his form for Borussia Dortmund when they won the Bundesliga side 2 years on the trot (which is some achievement considering Munich had a great side throughout these 2 years also). I believe he has the potential to be one of the best number 10s in Europe, however I fear that this won’t come under the stewardship of Moyes or in the red of Manchester United.
Where does he fit in the team when Rooney and Van Persie are fit? These two are among the first names on the team sheet, and when Kagawa is deployed on the left wing simply to accommodate him in the starting XI he is less than effective. Every time I watch Kagawa in his favoured number 10 role I am in awe of his technical ability and awareness, his hat trick against Norwich last season was a real highlight for him; but these highlights are too few and far between for someone rated so highly by Jurgen Klopp. United fans across Twitter and further afield continue to express their outrage and disappoint at the lack of Kagawa’s starting chances, but they fail to understand by starting Kagawa we’d have to drop Rooney and RVP… Unlikely.
Adam: It's disappointing to see such a talent sat on the bench but the harsh reality is that he isn’t going to play while Rooney is in the team. I think he’s a wonderful player but I just don’t see where he will fit in the team while Rooney remains a Manchester United player.
Shinji Kagawa has struggled to settle in since his move to Manchester United in 2012.
In your opinion, who has been your best player this season so far?
Jamie: One player who dominated the summer transfer window can rightfully hold his head up high and claim to have been one of the star performers in the Premier League in the early stages of the season; Wayne Rooney. I was one of the supporters who wished Rooney to stay, simply because he’s too good to gift to a rival English team (can anyone really see Wayne moving to Spain or France? Far too cultured for such a simple individual I think…) and his contribution to the team, not only in terms of goals and assists, has given me real optimism for the rest of the season. If we are to win anything this season, Rooney must be fit and firing on all cylinders. A notable mention also goes to Januzaj, who’s performed well above what is expected of an 18 year old at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Adam: I think you’ve got to look at the form of Wayne Rooney and say its him. To bounce back after a summer of uncertainty and perform the way he has is exceptional.
If you were in David Moyes’ shoes, what would be your starting line-up (discounting injury) every week?
Jamie: I’d first off like to say that I feel our squad is NOT the strongest in the Premier League, far from in in fact. I believe City and Chelsea have the best squads in the league in terms of pure quality and strength in depth, too many average players knocking around in United’s ranks and that needs to be rectified in the transfer market sooner rather than later (yes, I’m talking about you Ashley Young). However, assuming 100% fitness and form, here is my starting XI:
De Gea
Rafael
Vidic
Evans
Evra
Carrick
Januzaj
Kagawa
Nani
Rooney
RVP
The very fact I’ve slotted Kagawa into the CM role highlights the utter lack of quality we currently possess in the position, depending on the physicality of the game I may opt for Fellaini. The team is in need of a big shake up and a LOT of deadwood needs to be sifted out before we start to see another truly great United side, akin to the side that won the Champion’s League so gloriously at the Luznicki Stadium in Moscow back in May 2008.
Adam:
De Gea
Rafael
Evans,
Vidic
Evra
Carrick
Fellaini
Valencia
Rooney
Welbeck
RVP
This team would be played in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Wayne Rooney has been in fine form for United this season after a summer of speculation.
Finally, if United had an unlimited bank account, which player would you bring to the club and why?
Jamie: This is the easiest question in the world; Cristiano Ronaldo. The love affair between CR7 and United is not complete in my eyes, and though Ronaldo is reaching the peak of his powers (how long he can remain there who knows, but he is showing no sign of letting up this season) there is no other player I lust for so devotedly to be back on the books at United. The man can do everything, he won us a Champion’s League, and nobody has been worthy of the number 7 shirt which Ronaldo took to new heights during his magical 6 years at Old Trafford. Come home Ronaldo, please.
Adam: It's got to be Ronaldo simply because I think he’s the best player in the world and I think he’d have the biggest impact and influence in our current squad.
