Moyes looking to maintain momentum

Manchester United manager David Moyes says his team needs to sharpen its act and build momentum before it can be considered one of the favorites to win the Champions League.

United will avoid several European heavyweights in next week’s draw for the last 16 after edging Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday to finish at the top of Group A.

Phil Jones scored the game’s only goal — the first United had scored at Old Trafford in exactly a month — as it got back to winning ways following successive home losses to Everton and Newcastle United.

While United’s form in Europe has been in stark contrast to its domestic struggles, with four wins and two draws from its six group matches, Moyes knows there remains significant room for improvement.

“The club could easily be classed as one of the favorites, but we all know that as a team we have to improve if we are going to keep progressing in the competition,” he said.

“But hopefully we have given ourselves the best chance by winning the group.

“You want to try to win the group. It was a difficult group and a lot has been said (of the fact) that I was inexperienced in the Champions League, so to have my first real experience, I’m happy to top the group.”

United has labored in defense of its Premier League title, losing five of its first 15 games, but has impressed in Europe, notably beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 and 5-0.

Moyes, who never experienced the group stage during his 11-year tenure at Everton, said he is at a loss to explain the disparity.

“If I had the answer, I would have solved it by now and it would all be OK,” he said.

“I believe there is a different style (in Europe). You can tell that the players here are used to it, they are well experienced in European football, so I think they’re more than capable of playing at a higher level.

“They are also very comfortable playing in the Premier League, but at the moment we are not showing it.”

Before Jones’s 67th-minute goal, which came from a Robin van Persie corner, Shakhtar spurned several opportunities to take the lead. The best chance was when Alex Teixeira shot narrowly wide in the 12th minute.

Moyes said United was “fortunate” not to concede a goal, and that the Ukrainian champion had given his team “the most problems” it had faced at Old Trafford this season.

Moyes was also critical of United’s finishing, having seen Ashley Young spurn two good chances shortly before halftime.

“I’m not concerned about scoring goals from set pieces, that is for sure, but we want to score more from open play and we missed a couple of chances tonight,” he said.

“Some good crosses came in and Ash had two good chances.”

United trails Arsenal by 13 points in the Premier League, but Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu said he detected no signs of nervousness in the English champion’s display.

“No, on the contrary ... I thought the team was very confident,” said the Romanian, whose side missed out on a place in the knockout phase.

“Today there were players who hadn’t played in the last two games that United lost, so their attitude to the game was different.

“We hope this result will help Manchester United rediscover its place in the Premier League.”