The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Blame it all on me, says Moyes
Manager David takes responsibility for drop in Red Devils’ form
David Moyes has admitted he takes full responsibility for Manchester United’s troubles.
United head into tonight’s Champions League encounter with Shakhtar Donetsk in the throes of a crisis, following back- to- back league defeats at home.
Moyes was not even born when the Red Devils last lost three successive games at Old Trafford, in the autumn of 1962, and if it happens again, United will lose top spot in Group A and be pitched into a nasty knockout- round match with one of Europe’s heavyweights.
Given they are occupying ninth spot in the Premier League table, the situation is barely comprehensible at a club so used to success, boasting a squad that, is the same one that lifted the title by 11 points last season.
Various theories have been put forward for the sharp downturn in fortunes and Moyes has identified a number of key areas where improvement is required.
“I take responsibility for the results,” he said. “It is tough because the expectancy is to win all the games and the results have not been good in the Premier League.
“There is a bit of everything we could do with doing better.
“Generally, we’d like to play better, to create more chances and I’d like to defend better when those moments arise. I don’t think it is any one thing, it is all round we are trying to improve.”
As Moyes pointed out, it is only a month since United defeated Arsenal, and a fortnight after the five- goal hammering of Bayer Leverkusen that will god own as one of the club’s great European away performances.
What has alarmed supporters almost asmuch as those defeats by Everton and Newcastle is the manner of the losses.
At the weekend in particular, once Yohan Cabaye scored, the lack of a response was strange for a club so used to dragging out late victories.
“I agree,” said Moyes, when asked whether his team needed to show more belief and conviction.
“In recent games we haven’t quite finished the games the way we would have liked to. We have tried
“The players are hurting because they are used to winning”
t o make changes to improve things but it hasn’t quite happened.”
It seems to underline a general belief that the squad Moyes inherited, for all its championshipwinning credentials, is lacking in quality.
Asked to clarify a comment earlier in his reign that his squad had the quality to compete, Moyes avoided giving a direct answer.
“The question I got asked was whether the squad was big enough,” said Moyes. “I said, yes, the squad was big enough.
“The players are hurting because they are used to winning. When they don’t win that hurts them. They care very much about the team and the club.”