Chris Maduewesi
Member
Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has taken a swipe at his successor David Moyes over the way he operated during his time at the club.
Moyes was sacked just after ten months into a six-year contract at Old Trafford, failing to qualify Manchester United for the Champions League.
Ferguson attacked the team's style of play under Moyes, adding that they didn't have a clear direction.
“The reason for playing at speed was that United players had been accustomed to operating that way. If the tempo slowed for any reason, I would be into them at half-time. ‘This is not us,’ I would say. Playing with speed never hindered our results. It was our way: energy and determination in the last third of the pitch,” Ferguson said in his newly edited autobiography.
“Maybe David felt that at such a massive club he had to be sure that all corners were covered in terms of his support system. I felt that network was already there, with plenty of great people already in important slots.”
“In January we bought Juan Mata and that gave everyone a lift but I could see the walls squeezing in, leaving David with less and less room to breathe. I know that feeling from 1989, when we went through a terrible spell. You feel you are being crushed. The results gnawed away at David.”
“As the results deteriorated, each defeat was a hammer blow to him. I could see that in his demeanour.”
"Nobody could dispute how disappointing the season was. And it cost a man his job.”
However he denied that he left Moyes hamstrung with a bad squad:
“Chelsea started the current season as favourites for the title, with a squad that also had six players in their 30s. I don’t hear any grumbles about the age of their group.”
“Antiquated was a bizarre description of the structure I left behind at Manchester United. Have you seen our new training ground?”
Moyes was sacked just after ten months into a six-year contract at Old Trafford, failing to qualify Manchester United for the Champions League.
Ferguson attacked the team's style of play under Moyes, adding that they didn't have a clear direction.
“The reason for playing at speed was that United players had been accustomed to operating that way. If the tempo slowed for any reason, I would be into them at half-time. ‘This is not us,’ I would say. Playing with speed never hindered our results. It was our way: energy and determination in the last third of the pitch,” Ferguson said in his newly edited autobiography.
“Maybe David felt that at such a massive club he had to be sure that all corners were covered in terms of his support system. I felt that network was already there, with plenty of great people already in important slots.”
“In January we bought Juan Mata and that gave everyone a lift but I could see the walls squeezing in, leaving David with less and less room to breathe. I know that feeling from 1989, when we went through a terrible spell. You feel you are being crushed. The results gnawed away at David.”
“As the results deteriorated, each defeat was a hammer blow to him. I could see that in his demeanour.”
"Nobody could dispute how disappointing the season was. And it cost a man his job.”
However he denied that he left Moyes hamstrung with a bad squad:
“Chelsea started the current season as favourites for the title, with a squad that also had six players in their 30s. I don’t hear any grumbles about the age of their group.”
“Antiquated was a bizarre description of the structure I left behind at Manchester United. Have you seen our new training ground?”