Pressure on Moyes is laughable

READING some of the headlines this week, you would think Manchester United were 18th in the Premier League, out of the Champions League and playing the dullest football ever seen.

The reality of course is they are five points off the top four, through to the last 16 of the Champions League with a very winnable tie and one goal down in the Capital One Cup semi final.

Yes they are not pulling up any trees in the Premier League, yes Old Trafford is not a fortress at the moment and yes they are out of the FA Cup already.

But really, what did we expect?, Moyes to walk in and lead United to ten points clear in the PL, dominate every competition they were in and for everyone to say Fergie should have knocked off sooner?

Give me a break! May saw the end of an era for everyone associated with Manchester United when Sir Alex rode off into the sunset. The biggest effect? His players have relaxed, no longer in fear of Fergie's hairdryer or being made pariahs by the best manager this country has seen.

And Moyes is reaping that, quite simply some of the players at Old Trafford have taken their foot off the gas because Moyes is not Fergie.

Don't get me wrong, I think Moyes has made two massive mistakes since taking over. Signing Fellani was a blunder, he should have done everything he could for a year or two to distance himself from Everton.

Buying Fellani was an attempt to help bring some of the Everton methods into the dressing room, fine David but you won nothing at Everton while the dressing room you inherited has won PL and Champions League titles in recent years.

Secondly, Moyes is seemingly on a one man mission to blame Premier League referees for everything that's happened this season. Which again is great David, except for the fact Ashley Young is the biggest diver in England.....

And finally, Fergie's prescence at games is an 'unsettling influence'......errrr so pensioner attends football match regularly and makes team play badly.

'Thanks Sir Alex for everything but if you wouldn't mind never watching Manchester United again that would be just lovely'....give me a break! Who told the Old Trafford crowd to 'get behind the team and support OUR new manager'???? Oh that's right, Sir Alex himself!

You can level plenty of criticism at Fergie, you can never call him a hypocrite.

Whatever happens this season, Moyes needs time to build his vision. He can't do that in five months...

Win the league? I don't care, this has already been a top season

DO I want Arsenal to win the Premier League this season? Of course I do, will I moan if they don't? No, of course I won't.

 

The 'experts' don't think we can win the league, despite a first half of the season which has seen wins over Liverpool, Spurs and Newcastle and draws with Chelsea and Everton.

 

Yes we lost to Man United and were thrashed by Manchester City (who hasn't been?) but the point being is this season Arsenal have put themselves firmly in the top four.

 

This is a strange Premier League offering some strange results, if that continues then who knows? Arsene Wenger could end the trophy drought with his fourth PL title.

 

Chelsea have to go to Anfield and the Etihad before the end of the season, Man City have to travel to the Emirates and to Old Trafford in pursuit of the title.

 

Anything could happen between now and May, but if Arsenal miss the title but finish top four, this will be a top season...

 

Why? Because for the first time in a long time, the men in red and white BELIEVE they can mix it

with the best.

 

The past few seasons they have meandered along, normally around fourth or fifth before a herculean

like charge from March onwards for the Champions League space.

 

This year they bounced back from the apocalypse on day one against Aston Villa to be a surprise member of the top three.

 

Why? Ozil's arrival was huge, an organised and coached by Steve Bould back four and of course Rambo having a season to remember.

 

I adore Ozil, but for me if we are celebrating a league title or the FA Cup at the end of the season I shall congratulate Arsene on re-signing Mathieu Flamini.

 

Together with Arteta, the Frenchman has provided a barrier meaning Rambo, Wilshere, Ozil, Rosicky, Walcott can go and make incisions in the opponents defence.

 

More than that, he's given us something we have lacked since Gilberto Silva left, a ball winner who doesn't mind the odd yellow card....

 

Gooners, expect nothing, just get behind the team for the rest of the season, ignore the experts and who knows, we might have to have a party in May!

Ta ra Fergie – 26 years of memories and far from crap!

United fans will identify with the title of this blog as in 1989 fan Pete Molyneux held up a banner saying '3 years of excuses and it's still crap TA RA FERGIE'.

Well Fergie has indeed said 'Ta Ra'.......24 years after the banner was unveiled and with enough memories to last a lifetime.

Yesterday scenes at Old Trafford were emotional and special, if you weren't touched by them then in my opinion you are not a true football fan.

Britain's greatest ever football manager took his leave and the gratitude of millions of United fans with him in a special day for the Govan guvnor.

It was a fitting tribute for a man who has ruled the roost for 26 years – yes he berated referees, yes he played mind games, yes at times he could be unpleasant but above it all Fergie is a winner.

13 league titles in 21 Premier League seasons is phenomenal, but the fact United have always faced the challenge of a new team winning 'their' trophy but then dismantled them is Fergie's biggest achievement in my opinion.

Remember 1995? Blackburn Rovers won it on the final day and we heard how United's domination of the league would be over? Where are they now?

In 98,2002,04 – it was Arsenal who took the trophy away, again United had reached the end and so had Fergie – he even 'retired' one season but had to make a U-turn!

When Jose came to Chelsea and won two titles, United were finished, especially when Carlo Ancelotti continued taking the trophy down south.

But today, Arsenal face a fight just to finish fourth and are more than 20 points behind the champions while Chelsea have had more managers in the last four years than United have in almost 40!

The very fact that the next longest serving manager, one A.Wenger, is 10 years of service behind shows just how well Sir Alex has done.

Football has not got a sacking culture, it's now a disease. You can now be sacked if your face does not fit with new owners or you are just above the relegation zone.

Or if you are Roberto Mancini, and lose a FA Cup Final to end the season without a trophy despite having won the club's first league title in more than 40 years just 12 months before......

Fergie has been close to the door a few times, but eternal credit must go to the United board, firstly for standing by him in the late 90s and through the blips they endured in the next two decades.

Sky's Martin Tyler said we might not see another Fergie again and sadly in this case 'The Voice is right' – loyalty is a dirty word in football nowadays.

Congratulations on a fine career Sir Alex, I spent years hating you but I was wrong, you can never despise a winner.