PNev: United fans would give Moyes a standing ovation now

Phil Neville, who was appointed one of David Moyes’ coaches last season, claims the former Manchester United would be greeted fondly by supporters if he was ever to go to Old Trafford.

“If he walked back into Old Trafford now he’d get a standing ovation,” he said. “The fans recognise he had guts taking that job. A few top managers went ducking for cover when it became available, but David Moyes said, “I’ll take the job”. I think he should be proud of that.”

Neville says that everything started to go wrong from the very beginning, when Marouane Fellaini was the only player to be signed. He also thinks that if United had beaten Sunderland in the League Cup semi-final, which they lost on penalties at Old Trafford, Moyes could have kept his job.

“Our first transfer window was probably the beginning of the end, in that we didn’t bring in the freshness that we needed,” he continued. “From then onwards it was an uphill struggle. I don’t think we ever got the team playing to the level David Moyes wanted them to play. We couldn’t get the momentum you need to win trophies. The biggest disappointment was losing that League Cup game to Sunderland. If we had gone on to win a trophy, beating Manchester City, things could have been very different. That was the turning point. Everything seemed a struggle and a fight after that.”