Why Red Devils Should Keep Faith in David Moyes

They said, in the aftermath of Manchester United's capitulation against City last weekend, that things could only get better for manager David Moyes.

But, as the full-time whistle blew on United's defeat to West Brom on Saturday, those claims were made a mockery of.

This is United's worst start to a Premier League season since 1989, when this particular journalist was born, with seven points from an available 18 leaving the defending champions 12th in the table.

To put that in some kind of perspective, newly promoted Cardiff and Hull sit above the Red Devils in the league standings, as do the likes of Aston Villa, Southampton and Everton.

Seeing the latter outfit sit above his side with a game in hand to boot won't sit well with Red's manager David Moyes, who left the Toffees to take over the Old Trafford hotseat back in July.

Since then, things have not gone according to plan, with two wins picked up from seven preseason friendlies and now this, the worst start to a league campaign since the early years of Sir Alex Ferguson.

1989 was the year the infamous banner, painted on a bed sheet, was unveiled at Old Trafford, reading: “Three Years of Excuses and It’s Still Crap. Ta Ra Fergie.”

And, moments after Saido Berahino's long-ranged effort nestled in the bottom of David de Gea's goal on Saturday afternoon, the visiting Albion fans taunted Moyes with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning!"


Indeed, West Brom's shock win over United, coupled with their current plights, is eerily reminiscent of those early, turbulent years of Ferguson's reign.

Eyebrows have been raised not only over United's title credentials this season but also over Moyes's very future at the club.

Though chants from those in the away end at the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday proved wide of the mark, you do have to worry for Moyes, particularly in this hostile footballing climate that has already seen one Premier League manager lose his job this season.

But let's not go getting carried away with ourselves. After all, this season is proving to be one of the more unpredictable ones so far.

Despite hammering United this time last week, City yesterday slumped to a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa, their second loss of the campaign, while Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal have all dropped points.

Then there's the fact that Ferguson made those brandishing that crude bed sheet 24 years ago feel ever so slightly foolish by going on to become one of this country's most successful managers.

No, this is not the time to be preparing Moyes's P45. This is a time to throw the spotlight on those currently underperforming in a United shirt.

Nani, though he has been handed a new contract, has never lived up to his potential, and you can almost hear Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand's knees creaking.

Then there's Ashley Young, who was so diabolical against City last weekend that it beggars belief as to how he is playing for the English champions.

Meanwhile, Brazilian Anderson continues to belie his nationality, while Valencia couldn't even get off the bench yesterday, off the back of more than a couple of indifferent performances.

The truth is, Moyes has been badly let down by a side who are perhaps still struggling to adapt to life without Ferguson.

Critics need to accept that, like the latter's preliminary years, there's certainly going to be a transitional period under Moyes and that success, as it did with Ferguson, will eventually follow.

The January transfer window is an opportunity for Moyes to breath new life into this side and make up for his summer inadequacies, and only after that should he be judged.

Joseph Dempsey (BLEACHER REPORT)