Moyes, the right man for United
July 1, 2013, will mark a new chapter for Manchester United. The Red Devils, for the first time in almost 27 years, will be in a team meeting headed by someone not called Sir Alex Ferguson.
The day will mark the beginning of a new era in the illustrious history of the club, when 50-year-old David Moyes of Scotland will take over the mantle from his famous, serial-winning compatriot. Perhaps, the United players can look for at least one familiarity — the pep-talks and dress-downs will be more or less of the same accent as before.
When Man United announced that the current Everton manager will be the man in charge from next season, a lot of fans — especially those who belong to the ‘Jose Mourinho supporters club’ — felt underwhelmed. For them, the Portuguese was the best man to take over the mantle. But if the choice was between the two ‘M’s, then the powers that be at Old Trafford made the right decision.
Sure, Mourinho would have won trophies at Old Trafford and is definitely one of the best when it comes to tactical acumen. But United are not looking for a quick-fix.
The 20-time-league champions are not demanding just on-field success, but for longevity too. No matter how much he may deny, Mourinho is a mercenary. The Portuguese seemingly has lost interest once he has achieved success at a club.
Moyes, however, is a well-respected, smart, strong and more importantly a loyal father figure. In his 11 years at Goodison Park, Everton, constrained by their small budget, have consistently finished top six or top eight.
His ‘inability’ to win a title may be pointed out as flaw. But the reason to that lies on the salary slip of the players. When in 2011, Marouane Fellaini signed a new deal to make him the highest-paid player in Everton’s history, his contract read £70,000-a-week. The 2011-12 champions Manchester City’s wage-bill is being led by the reportedly £2,86,000-per-week worth Carlos Tevez and £2,10,000-a-week earner Yaya Toure. It’s the same story with almost every other title-winning teams in the past decade. At Everton, Moyes, with his limited budget, has outperformed clubs with greater resources — a true indication of his managerial acumen.
So if there is anyone who deserves a shot at glory, it is Moyes. And, if Sir Alex feels his compatriot is the best man for United, who are we mere mortals to question it?
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