This was their time to set a marker but instead thier eighth Premier League defeat followed, posing the question; just what does David Moyes and the club have to do to get it right? talkSPORT takes a look at three different options the Red Devils could go for...
Sack Moyes immediately
A ruthless move, undoubtedly, but one that top clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern and Chelsea would probably do in the same situation, and it's hardly hurt them in the long term. At times throughout the season it has appeared the former Everton boss has not quite grasped what it means to be in charge at Old Trafford, none more so than when he oversaw United's humiliating Capital One Cup semi-final defeat to Sunderland on penalties.
With the Red Devils 1-0 up at home, the Scot was content to let his side try and hold on until the end of extra-time to go through on away goals, against a struggling side. Of course, this was not the way it transpired but it stank of conservatism, not something fans in the red part of Manchester are accustomed to.
They say patience is a virtue, and admittedly it's not a characteristic United supporters have had to use in recent years, but surely they are now asking; is it really going to get any better under the former Everton boss? Evidence currently points to the contrary and an immediate change could be just the ticket if they want to salvage something from this wreck of a campaign.
Give the 'kids' a chance
The Red Devils are mid-table in terms of the average age of their squad (27.4 years) but it's easy to see a few players slowing down the club's and youngsters' progression. Veterans such as Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Ryan Giggs are still relied upon and appear happy to just go through the motions with their careers winding down.
Meanwhile, the one real bright spark for the Premier League champions has been teenager Adnan Januzaj and there are other youngsters like him waiting in the wings for their chance. A quick glance through the ranks shows Wilfired Zaha and Nick Powell out on loan at Cardiff and Wigan respectively. The former made a lightning impact on his Bluebirds debut on Saturday but just can't catch a break under Moyes, while 19-year-old Powell has been a central figure in the Latics' Championship campaign, scoring five goals in 19 appearances.
Then there are Michael Keane and Jesse Lingaad both biding their time. The 21-year-old defender did well on a brief loan spell at Derby while the winger, of the same age, was a star performer for United in pre-season and performed brilliantly when he spent some time at Birmingham this season, memorably scoring four goals on his debut.
Moyes may not want to copy Sir Alex Ferguson's blueprint but it's difficult to avoid the fact that United picked up numerous titles under the Scottish manager after he put his faith in a bunch of 'kids'. Although, this is more an option for next season.
Get Fergie back on board
It's clear enough that the legendary boss isn't going to avoid pitching up and watching United's games any time soon, so why not call on his expertise a little bit? Moyes already admits he has the occasional chat with his compatriot and surely with the club swaying like a dazed boxer, week after week, it cannot hurt to have an extra voice helping out.
Just how they accommodate the club's most successful manager without undermining Moyes could be tricky but it also could prove a winning combination. Moyes has said they will still attract players regardless of whether they make the top four, but this simply is not true. It may be the boss is just coming out with fighting talk but failure to make Europe's top table will hurt the club and the reintroduction of Fergie as a stop gap could feasibly help them make those coveted spots.
Bringing back Fergie and qualifying for the Champions League would buy Moyes more time and give him the summer he believes is needed to shape a hurting United squad to the way he wants it.
Would you go for any of these options? What do you think Manchester United should do? Get it off your chest, leave a comment below!
No comments:
Post a Comment