2014’s first rant
Sad days for us who are Man U fans. The team that won the league by a distance last year has been transformed into one that couldn’t score in a barrel of doughnuts. Where Fergie went out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle just once in 27 years, Moyes has managed it at the first time of asking. Yes, I know that he’s had no luck with injuries, but he inherited a quality squad. Yes I know that playing the last ten minutes yesterday with ten men didn’t help, but it doesn’t take eleven to deny a striker a free header in front of goal, just one back line doing its job properly. Some managers send sides out not to lose, first and foremost; others send them out to play with pace and creative aggression and to dominate at all times. Some managers make substitutions that are guaranteed to make their side more incisive, others make them for the sake of change. Some managers are winners, and some are losers.
Alex Ferguson made a few mistakes during his career; for example, selling Jaap Stam, signing Veron, and that Portuguese lad Bebe who couldn’t play for tofu. However, choosing Moyes as his anointed successor looks like his biggest blunder by a mile.
Rant over.
Quintin Jardine's blog 
You understand the rules of war. One of the most important is: take out the leader and the rest of the group is vulnerable.
I fear you may have to write this season off. But I wouldn’t write off the new manager just yet.
It’s not a quality squad. With the exception of Rooney and Van Persie, the remains would struggle to gain a regular place at Stamford Bridge, the Etihad, or the Emirates. Giggs has worn himself out; Cleverley is still a baby and can’t do it on his own; Kagawa is no Welsey Sneijder; Vidic, while probably still a psycopath, he’s now a rich one, and forwards no longer fear him.
Without the addition of Van Persie, United would not have won the league last season. That success is testament to Fergie’s strength of will.
As a great and wise man once said to me, if you want to be successful at this game, you must work on developing your own unique style. How does Moyes do that? How does he follow the greatest manager the game has ever known? He has the courage of William Wallace even to try. He needs to build his own team; because at the moment, United, minus Fergie, are not much of a team at all.
Relax, Q. It could be worse. Man City were in the darkness for decades. Arsenal are still not quite sure. And many a giant has long since fallen away. Glory days can come again to Old Trafford, and sooner than you think; but Moyes will first of all have to establish his position of authority. He made Rooney one of the best players in the world, he’ll do the same with Januzaj. Long term – and you greedy United fans expect dominance – I don’t see there’s a better man for the job.
Funny thing is, fans of other clubs up and down the land are hoping Moyes gets the sack. Why? Because they’d have him in a heartbeat.
‘Funny thing is, fans of other clubs up and down the land are hoping Moyes gets the sack. Why? Because they’d have him in a heartbeat.’ Do these clubs include Everton, who are being reminded that football need not be dour, physical and pedestrian? One word answer will suffice.
Yes.