Manchester United's David Moyes saw their title-race struggles coming in the summer
New boss quickly realised the squad Fergie left him wasn't
as strong as their 11-point title-winning margin suggested, writes David
McDonnell
Red alert: Moyes knew he needed to buy in the summer but only landed Fellaini
Matthew Peters
David Moyes saw Manchester United's current plight coming as far back as the summer.
New manager Moyes probably did not envisage champions United being so far adrift - they are 12 points off leaders Arsenal - before the Christmas fixture programme has even begun.
But
it is understood the Scot quickly realised the squad he inherited from
Sir Alex Ferguson was not as complete and formidable as last season's
11-point title-winning margin - to clinch a 20th league crown -
suggested.
Moyes has acknowledged that the Old Trafford giants endured a poor summer transfer widow.
Marouane
Fellaini, at an inflated price of £27million, was the only arrival,
with moves for Cesc Fabregas, Gareth Bale, Ander Herrera, Sami Khedira,
Leighton Baines and Fabio Coentrao all failing to come off.
Wednesday's galling 1-0 defeat to his former club Everton
-United's fourth in the Premier League this term - exposed the
deficiencies within the squad that have sent the champions spinning out
of the title race with only a third of the season gone.
Midfield
duo of Ryan Giggs and Fellaini had no answer to the energy, enterprise
and dynamism of young talents James McCarthy and Ross Barkley, which was
underpinned by the diligence of Gareth Barry. Giggs is now 40 and cannot be relied on regularly, despite his enduring class.
Of
Moyes' other midfield options, Anderson is not considered good enough
or fit enough and Tom Cleverley has not progressed at the rate expected.
Fellaini is perhaps the biggest indictment of Moyes' reign thus far.
The
Belgium international having failed to live up to his transfer fee,
despite the United boss repeatedly insisting the 26-year-old will
eventually prove his worth.
With United now languishing in
mid-table, of more concern to the club's hierarchy is not whether they
can elbow their way back into the title race, but whether they can
achieve a top-four finish and ensure they do not miss out on the
Champions League for the first time in 19 years.
Those in charge
at United are confident they can absorb the financial cost of missing
out on Champions League qualification, but are acutely aware that
scenario would have a major impact on their ability to attract - and
keep - the best players.
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Matthew Peters
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Man United V Everton
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With United currently five points off fourth, and with
increased competition for the coveted Champions League places, their
poor start to the season has raised the very real prospect of them
failing to grace European football's elite competition.
Everton captain Phil Jagielka claimed Moyes had not been given sufficient backing in the summer transfer market.
"I
do feel sorry for him," said Jagielka. "The transfers in the summer,
the people who were making those decisions, didn't help him out one
bit."
With Giggs coming to the end of his career and Rio Ferdinand
and Nemanja Vidic, United's former first-choice central defensive
partnership, facing a similar fate, Moyes has a significant rebuilding
job on his hands.
Ferguson always said he would bequeath to his
successor a healthy squad capable of challenging on all fronts, yet the
group of players Moyes has inherited has failed to live up to the
standards demanded by their previous boss.
Although efforts will
be made to strengthen the squad in January, there is an acceptance that
the winter window is not the ideal time to land leading targets, as
clubs are reluctant to sell their best players mid-season.
Despite that fact, United will
revive their attempts to prise Leighton Baines from Everton, while
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and Bilbao's Herrera remain
on their radar.
Without injured duo Michael Carrick and Robin van Persie,
United's weaknesses have been exposed - particularly with regard to the
latter.
Wayne Rooney has carried the team in recent weeks, but the striker cannot continue to shoulder that burden alone.
Rooney
will miss Saturday's visit of Newcastle after picking up his fifth
booking this season on Wednesday - and if Van Persie misses a fifth
straight game with a groin injury, Moyes faces the prospect of the current crisis at United deepening.
The
challenge facing the 50-year-old Scot is to steady his creaking ship
and haul United back up the table, into the security of the top four.
There
is no disgrace in finishing third - something Ferguson experienced amid
his 13 titles - but finishing outside of the top four would be
unthinkable for a club of United's stature and ambition.
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