IN THE least surprising news you’ll hear this week, Manchester United manager David Moyes, 50, has finally been given the chop.
The club has packed off Moyes after securing Manchester United’s lowest ever points in a Premier League season and failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
There have been (wishful) whispers on the terraces in recent months that Ryan Giggs may take the helm on a more permanent basis, calling in former United team mates Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt to whip the club back into shape.
A statement on the club website reads: "Manchester United has announced that David Moyes has left the Club. The Club would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role."
After months of uncertainty, United’s limp defeat at the hands of Moyes’ former club, Everton, and the slide to seventh place in the league was the end of the road for Moyes. It's clear the man has lost the confidence of the Board. He has looked out of his depth at Old Trafford since succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson in July 2013.
United have beaten only one of the top six clubs in twelve games this season, beating Arsenal at home 1-0. Most notably the club lost 3-0 at Old Trafford to both Liverpool and Manchester City, their fiercest rivals, and suffered losses of 3-1 at Chelsea and 4-1 at Manchester City.
United were also knocked out of the FA Cup by Swansea at Old Trafford and by Sunderland in the semi-finals of the Capital One cup.
How much? £5m... Get in
Moyes was handpicked by Ferguson to succeed him and awarded a six-year contract by the club. To sweeten the pill at least he’ll receive a very handsome pay-off by the club (rumoured to be in the region of £5m). Naught pays as well in football as failure.
It is expected that Ryan Giggs, long tipped to be next in line for the Wales job, will take charge of the team for the remainder of the season.
Permanent replacements for Moyes have been stacking up for weeks.
Current favourite for the job is Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp, who has inspired Dortmund to two league titles in Germany from 2010 to 2012 and a Champions League final spot against rivals Bayern Munich last season. However, with the German recently signing a contract extension until 2018 with Dortmund, it is unlikely that he’ll turn his back on the club.
Other rumoured replacements are Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simone, Dutch national coach Louis van Gaal, former United player and current Paris St-Germain coach Lauren Blanc and Real Madrid and former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti.
There have been (wishful) whispers on the terraces in recent months that Ryan Giggs may take the helm on a more permanent basis, calling in former United team mates Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt to whip the club back into shape.
How long before someone mentions Sven?
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Neville and Giggs with a surprisingly lovely looking Nicky Butt at an event attended by Confidential in January this year
