When Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced his plans to retire at the end of the current English Premier League season, it took only seconds for possible replacements to be touted across all forms of media.
Bookmakers mentioned the likes of Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, and even Ryan Giggs, as frontrunners to potentially succeed the 71-year-old. However, it seems Everton gaffer David Moyes always had the inside track on replacing Sir Alex.
According to reports, the 50-year-old Scot will be the man to take charge and attempt to fill the massive shoes left behind by his countryman.
David Moyes to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager http://t.co/jz40lv6JUg
— Times Sport (@TimesSport) May 8, 2013
Ferguson has taken United to unimaginable heights, turning them from relegation battlers into the most successful club in English footballing history, while also cultivating a truly worldwide fan-base.
Moyes, by comparison, has taken the cash-strapped Everton from cellar-dwellers to European contenders during his 11-year tenure at the club.
Whilst the doubters will point to the fact that he has been unable to win any major silverware at the Merseyside club, what he has been able to achieve without the funds available to rival managers in nothing short of remarkable.
Which begs the question; is he the right man to lead one of the world’s biggest clubs into a new era?
Absolutely.
Picture of the #MUFC succession?
Sir Alex informs David Moyes that time has come & makes #EFC manager smile: pic.twitter.com/SnLQHxNCpY— Adam Leventhal (@AdamLeventhal) May 8, 2013
His experience in the Premier League is invaluable. Only the outgoing Ferguson and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger have spent more time in charge of their respective clubs in England’s top domestic league.
Moyes is an established coach, meaning United know exactly what they are getting.
With Ferguson moving upstairs into the boardroom, it would come as no surprise if he had given Moyes the tick of approval, as they have worked closely together in the past during the Moyes’s time at Preston North End.
Further, there are a host of similarities between the two managers. Both had solid yet unspectacular playing careers and both learned their craft as managers with lesser-known clubs.
It seems the decision-makers at Old Trafford want a continuation of management styles, rather than seeking a stylistic revolution.
They are putting faith in Moyes’s man-management skills, tactical nous and his seeming ability to motivate players – all of which he has shown in his time in charge at Everton.
His current side are on course to finish above city rivals Liverpool for the second Premier League season in a row – a massive achievement considering the large financial discrepancy between the two clubs.
Moyes is a shrewd operator in the transfer market, another trait that will serve him well at the potentially cash-strapped, Glazer handicapped, Red Devils.
The £1.5 million he paid for Tim Cahill from Millwall will go down as one of the biggest steals in Premier League history, and with United no longer holding the ‘rich-boys’ tag in Manchester, his experience in finding excellent players on the cheap will be extremely important to their ongoing success.
The one potential problem with Moyes taking the reigns at United is his strained relationship with star player Wayne Rooney, who he sued for libel after comments made in striker’s autobiography in 2006.
Rooney supposedly apologised to Moyes in 2010, but it won’t stop the rumour mill from churning should the striker’s form dip – if he is to stay at the club.
Yet, despite a potential Rooney relocation, there isn’t any reason why success should evade Moyes at United.
The out-going Ferguson has laid the foundation for continued success, leaving behind a team brimming with young talent. The likes of De Gea, Kagawa, Hernandez, Smalling, Welbeck and Jones provide a strong backbone for the team going forward.
Winning the Premier League is something Manchester United fans have become used to. Ferguson won 13 in his time, but perhaps the only regret he will leave behind is not adding to his two Champions League titles.
This is where Moyes will earn his money.
He has the players at his disposal, and United fans will be dreaming of another bout of European glory, pinning their high hopes on their – potentially – new Scottish manager.
Daniel Baricevic is a third-year Bachelor of Journalism (Sport) student at La Trobe University. You can follow him on Twitter: @danielbara4
