Fergie: hard act to follow

SIR ALEX Ferguson was always going to be a hard act to follow but Davie Moyes is probably now only f inding out exactly how hard.

Successive league defeats at Old Trafford to Newcastle and Everton have had the critics sharpening their poison pens.

The level of flak he is receiving seems harsh on Moyes who, when he was appointed as Ferguson’s successor, was assured that he would be given time to adjust to the hotseat and put his own stamp on the team.

His predecessor certainly seemed to get out at the right moment. Last season’s league-winning side looked like they had maxed out and were as good as they were ever going to be.

United failed to sign the players they really wanted during the summer but Moyes deserves to be given time to implement his own ideas and to bolster the squad his way.

However, for the moment, the players he has at his disposal just have to get on with it in a league that is tougher than ever before, full of sides who have similar sized squads and the same, if not bigger, budgets as United.

People have talked about United losing their fear factor now that Fergie is no longer in the Old Trafford dug-out but I think that without the likes of the injured Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney, the Manchester side is short of real quality.

Midfield, in particular, is an area where there is an absence of experienced internationals — in contrast, Newcastle’s engine room was packed with exactly that type of player.

Having missed out on signing targets, Moyes may have to blood some young players. It was a bit like that when Berti Vogts came in to manage Scotland. Everyone was saying he had to give youth a chance and be given time then, as soon as a couple of results went against us, everybody got annoyed.

Moyes was even criticised for saying in an interview after the Newcastle game that he would have taken Robin van Persie off after 60 minutes with the striker having just returned from injury but he was concerned about what the supporters would think.

He was probably just articulating what most managers think but it showed he was concerned about people’s perceptions at United — I’m fairly certain he wouldn’t have given it a second thought if he wanted to make a substitution when he was in charge at Everton.

The United fans showed what they thought of the performance against Newcastle by leaving in their thousands before the end.

To be honest, I have been there as a player and a spectator and I always felt the atmosphere was flat just because the fans are so used to winning.

I actually won three times at Old Trafford and I always felt we had a chance when we went there as they continually attacked and were really open.

You would have chances and you had to take them, otherwise it was often a case of “bang, bang” and you’d lost.

At the moment, it is other teams who are taking those opportunities.

I am sure in the long run Moyes will be OK. His predecessor’s teams often struggled at the start of a campaign but nearly always came good after Christmas.

Moyes will be keeping his fingers crossed that this crop of players can produce a similar surge of form this season.

Picture: PA. David Moyes.