On Wednesday, David Moyes manages a match that could make or break his regime. Manchester United host Olympiakos, looking to erase a two-goal aggregate deficit in order to advance to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Another setback here and United are eliminated from the Champions League Tournament. Their only chance to qualify for next year’s Champions League is by winning the bracket; because their standing in Premier League makes it nearly impossible to reach the top four.
That’s just how awful a season it’s been for David Moyes and United. Yet, a positive result at Old Trafford tomorrow could very well save Moyes‘ job; for a while. As ESPN FC’s Ian Darke put it “a glorious European victory” could cool Moyes seat for awhile.
“They’ll keep killing him with kindness until the day they sit down with a glass of wine and a cigarette and say well, that’s enough. You don’t lose at home like that to Liverpool and get away with it. This month could be a tipping point,” Darke continued.
Domestically, The Red Devils are in seventh place in the table, and after hosting Olympiakos, they go to West Ham before a Manchester Derby against City. According to sources close to ESPN FC’s Miguel Delaney, the new Manchester United manager is losing support from board members. Some recently added commercial partners and club sponsors very concerned with the direction of the club. David Moyes had lost them too. Then there were the reports, still not confirmed, but very widely believed, that David Moyes has lost the MUFC dressing room
A failure to advance past the Greek club could immediately result in a pink slip for Moyes, as Bleacher Report’s Jerrad Peters suggests: “You almost get the feeling Moyes could be gone by the end of the week if Olympiacos scoreline isn’t overturned.”
So that’s just a smidgeon of the people against David Moyes. Who stands with the polarizing manager? His predecessor, who picked him for the job Sir Alex Ferguson and the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton.
“My future has not changed one bit,” said David Moyes. “I have a great job.
“I have a six-year contract. This club does not work on short-term vision, it works on a long-term vision.”
Moyes says he continues to talk regularly with Ferguson, as well as United vice-chairman Ed Woodward, and says both men are “very supportive”.
So that’s his response. David Moyes believes rumors of his own demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Is all that just towing the company line? Or a genuine reflection of true sentiment?
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, he’s also a frequent analyst on multiple news talk radio stations. The former NBC Chicago and Washington Times contributor has also been featured on the History Channel.