Moyes on the brink, Chelsea’s European midweek and more – Monday Mushings
Sometimes, there is nothing better than waking up Monday morning to seeing Twitter and Facebook virtually explode with news and opinions, to which inevitably leads to debates for the entire day. This will be a good day in the footballing world.
Moyes with one foot out the door
And soon to be two, as there have been multiple reports from multiple sources that while he is still in charge at United, it will not be for longer. David Moyes has reportedly lost the faith of the Glazer’s and rumors are that once United ownership has discussed matters with their shareholders, the Scotsman could be out of a job. No one can really be surprised as United’s season this year can be simply summed up as woeful in all departments. And while it would be next to impossible to follow in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson, no one expected a tailspin such as this. Truthfully, it cannot be stated that United were expected to win the league this season, but surely a top-four finish in his first year in charge would have been deemed acceptable. But let us not make any mistake here, Moyes has been poor from the beginning. He has not played the football required to be played at a club pushing for trophies each season and he has been a backwards step. Granted, there must be some period of adjustment both on and off the pitch and when you look at Liverpool as an example, you see how it was done correctly. In his first season Rodgers finished 7th, but he commanded the complete respect and admiration of everyone inside the club, the players loved him and bought into his ambitions which are now coming to fruition. Moyes didn’t need to have a fantastic first season, he just had to make sure he didn’t bottle it.
Who is “Shortlisted” as Moyes’ replacement
The three managerial names being thrown around as Moyes’ replacement are Diego Simeone, Louis Van Gaal and Jurgen Klopp. Simeone is currently at the helm of Atletico Madrid, who are quietly one of the most complete teams in all of Europe and who are in the semifinals of the Champions League while making a real push for the La Liga title this season. Van Gaal is the current coach for the Dutch national team, while Klopp is the gaffer at Borussia Dortmund. Reports have suggested that Klopp will by no means be leaving Dortmund in the near future. When asked about the United job during his press conference today, Simeone skirted the topic about. But the most intriguing report comes by way of ex-Dutch footballer Pierre van Hooijdonk, who claims that if United want to keep Robin van Persie, they will have to sign Van Gaal. The two have certainly been seeing a lot of each other, attending matches in Holland while the Dutch hit man recovers from his injury. The two have a strong relationship for the national team and that could strongly benefit the Red Devils. Intriguing enough, many are beginning to take to the idea that signing Van Gaal for a shorter deal until a younger more long term option becomes available seems sensible. Whoever does accept the posting, it certainly will not be until the summer – convenient considering Van Gaal will be leaving the Dutch national team after the World Cup is over.
Chelsea must look towards Champions League glory
They had already slipped up against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, another stumble up the steps this past weekend against Sunderland. With Liverpool having won 11 on the spin and with their next match against Chelsea, it may be prudent for Jose Mourinho to “officially” focus on winning the Champions League if he plans to haul any silverware for the club this term. Said slip-ups in previous matches were due to concentrations on foreign affairs and Chelsea were not focused coming into those matches. Chelsea must prepare for the potential of losing to Liverpool on Sunday – a loss there means they’d have no chance of catching them in points, so why not continue to press in continental matters. That is not to say that Chelsea cannot win on Sunday against Liverpool, but it is to say that they should not lose sight of Europe now that they are all but sure to miss out on the BPL.