When Sir Alex Ferguson was handed the microphone in his final game at Old Trafford on May 12, there was a moment that took him back in time. ‘When we had bad times here the club stood by me, the staff stood by me, the players stood by me. Your job now is to stand by our new manager. That is important.’
It was a nice thing to do in the circumstances, a touching gesture from Ferguson. He knows more than anyone just how tough it can be at Manchester United. After his appointment in November 1986 it took Ferguson nearly four years before he was finally accepted by the majority of United supporters.
He survived the bitterness and resentment of the old Scoreboard End in December 1989 when Mark Hughes was dropped to the substitutes’ bench for a First Division game against Crystal Palace. As Hughes began warming up in front of them, the ‘FERGIE OUT’ banners were being draped over the edge of the concourses. It didn’t help that their team lost 2-1.
Six months later they were on their way to the FA Cup final, beating Palace in a replay when Lee Martin scored the winner at Wembley.
This weekend David Moyes will start the league programme with an away match, just as Fergie did in November 1986 when United travelled south to the Manor Ground. They lost 2-0, beaten by Oxford United in front of 13,500 supporters packed into their old stadium. Those who were there remember Ferguson being surprised by the attention and visibly disturbed by the lack of quality in his United team.
The adjustment takes time, something Moyes has become acutely aware of since he was named Ferguson’s successor. Last weekend’s victory in the Community Shield at Wembley over Wigan was more important to him than it was to anyone else involved at the club. It was someone else’s title-winning team but Moyes has crossed the line and added some silverware in his first official match in charge. There were signs of tension before the game, standing in the tunnel with his team with a look of anxiety and uncertainty. It’s only natural.
In the media suite after the game he realised he would be given precious little time to dwell on the comfortable 2-0 victor. The first question was about the win. The second was about Cesc Fabregas. The third, an innocuous question about United’s midfield, was enough to irritate Moyes. Then the fourth – the Rooney question – was enough to make him snap.
He has departed from the manner of Ferguson’s traditional briefings, when the former United manager would begin every session with his own opinions before a question could be asked. Ferguson could be in full flow for two or three minutes before anyone had the chance to ask a question. It was an established pattern, but Moyes is still working it all out as he prepares for the first game of the Barclays Premier League season. In the weeks leading up to the game at Wembley he accepted that managing the expectations at United is several levels up from his previous job at Everton. He is being pulled in different directions, from transfer targets to the ongoing issue of his £240,000-a-week striker Rooney to the transition of his team.
This is the bedding-in period for Moyes. Unlike Fergie, he does not have four years to change the culture of the club; he doesn’t need to. He has inherited the Premier League champions and they have to play like them.
At the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, Moyes’s new team will be given a thorough workout by Michael Laudrup’s side. Swansea have conceded only one goal in their pre-season build-up and beat Malmo 4-0 in the first leg of their Europa League qualifier.
United have a huge squad, stronger than many give them credit for as the predictions of two-way tussle for the title between Manchester City and Chelsea pour in. They still have the resources to compete for the Premier League and Moyes has backing at boardroom level. On Saturday he will need the full support of United’s fans.
In David Moyes WE trust!!!
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