Moyes was a symptom – a very bad one, yes but not the cause

David Moyes has gone from being a joke and a victim of internet trolls – which he still is  – to a total figure of pity.

Yes, his 10 months at the helm of English football’s biggest club – and make no mistake, that is exactly what they are – was a complete and utter disaster.

Moyes was out of his depth. He lost over and over again. At home and away. His record speaks for itself, and not in the way that Sir Alex Ferguson hoped it would.

Losing to clubs like Sunderland was one thing, but to his ‘title’ rivals was quite another. Manchester United do not do humiliation. They are not the bud of jokes, they create them. But this season, that is exactly what they have become.

Several fingers of blame need to be pointed.

Yes, Moyes was clearly out of his depth, and had such small club mentality it was hard to believe at times. To say Liverpool were the favourites going into the game at Old Trafford was simply bereft of the defending champions.

To claim that they played well despite being two down at half time to his high flying former club was the tipping point – but the signs were already there.

The highest United have been all season is fifth place in the league. They have never occupied a top four spot, let alone mounted a defence of their title. Moyes claimed that the table would ‘sort itself out.’ Well not with him in charge it would not.

Moyes aside, the players also need to take a serious look at themselves.

With the exception of David de Gea and Wayne Rooney – who after throwing his toys out of the pram and being given yet another pay rise for doing so, has seemed fairly happy this season – the rest of the squad should be embarrassed.

Robin Van Persie fell out with Moyes early on and took on the famous Dutch mentality afterwards and is a disgrace for doing so. The likes of Rio Ferdinand, who were comfortable enough to make fun of Moyes and the results on twitter all should be ousted this summer.

That is not Manchester United mentality – and you can bet your bottom dollar it would not have happened under Fergie.

Fergie who is also massively culpable for this.

A great manager – maybe even the best we have ever seen on these shores. Yes, but the man to pick the club’s successor? Error number one.

What other manager would be allowed to do that? No one. Yes, he should have had an input. But to make the choice himself and himself alone? And on what basis? We can all see how well that turned out.

Fergie did not even advise Moyes adequately when it came to his backroom staff.

Quite why Moyes felt – or was told – it would be ok to get rid of coaches like Mike Phelan and Rene Meulensteen given they were the ones the players were used to taking training on a daily basis and replacing them with his own men – who were about as proven at winning titles as him was a huge mistake. And one that Moyes never recovered from.

The loss of David Gill was of course huge. The summer transfer debacle with only Marouane Fellaini bought in (panic.com) and impostors going into the negotiations for Ander Herrera said it all. Ed Woodward is as much at fault for this season, if not more.

The way news of Moyes’ exit broke was simply appalling – players are reported as telling their family and friends before the Everton fixture he would be sacked.

Moyes is said to be hurt and dismayed. Well there is no wonder. To have it leaked to the press before you are even told – not to mention the club’s official twitter page breaking the news then promptly wishing a former player happy birthday beggars belief.

As Gary Neville claimed, there is no way that would have happened under Fergie.

The club were about as impenetrable as it was possible to be when it came to media leaks – yet this season it has all gone to pot.

Players being unhappy, Moyes losing the dressing room, Nemanja Vidic’s departure announced months before – all of these things would never have happened during the reign of Alex Ferguson.

Let us not forget, there is also the fact that this is a club in serious need of rebuilding.

They may have won a poor league last term, but when your midfield boasts the likes of Tom Cleverley (who seems to believe he is the English equivalent of Andres Iniesta) there is a huge issue.

United are a club in turmoil. They were a club in decline but will now hope to have stopped the rot.

The issue for them will be the fact that David Moyes was a symptom, not the whole cause.

Will United be able to get a new manager in and recover? Let us know your thoughts below or tweet us @LaFootyettes.