Is David Moyes Right About The Champions League?
Manchester United are not in the most comfortable of positions after back-to-back Premier League defeats. So what exactly was David Moyes trying to achieve by ruling out his side’s chances of succeeding in Europe?
Lowering expectations in an attempt to alleviate pressure is something Moyes has done before, and perhaps understandably so at times during his reign as Everton manager. Pundits have often praised the Scot for helping the Toffees to consistently punch above their weight and mix it up with the big boys despite having nowhere near as much financial backing as their rivals. Moyes would often mention this lack of resources and, whilst many Evertonians were sometimes unhappy with his negative yet completely honest approach, it is even less likely to be accepted at Old Trafford.
Now working on a larger scale and with supporters who are just as demanding but who rarely go a year without a trophy, the job of succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson was never going to be an easy ride. Having not made a solid start to the campaign, Moyes is in desperate need of the patience which his predecessor urged the United faithful to give him.
The Manchester United side of 2013/14 is not too dissimilar to the one that stormed to the Premier League title last season. The first team squad, in fact, is virtually the same, with the addition of £27.5 million midfielder Marouane Fellaini.
Despite going out at the first knockout stage in last year’s Champions League, United were extremely unfortunate in the second leg of their tie with Real Madrid. With Portuguese winger Nani controversially sent off with over half an hour to play, the Red Devils eventually succumbed to a notorious exit from the competition. However, had United progressed, they would have been well fancied to make it right through to the final.
Are David Moyes’ recent comments realistic, or does the United chief need to have a rethink regarding the club’s ambitions?
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