In a David Moyes edition of Paper Talk, it looks as though Manchester United is ready to move on

IN a Paper Talk David Moyes special, it seems the ironic failure at Everton was the final straw, while the woes were already clear at Bondi.

AFTER the mockery of returning to Goodison Park and being completely outplayed by Roberto Martinez’s Everton incarnation, it comes to this.

David Moyes is on the brink of the axe, one season into his six year tenure, according to reports all across the British press. In a cruel irony, the loss at Goodison Park, where Moyes forged his reputation, could prove the final straw for the Glazers.

Now, it seems there’s no question of if. According to the BBC, it’s just a matter of when, and will it be in the next 24 hours.

Could anyone have predicted this meek surrender - winning 27 of 51 matches, drawing nine and losing 15 - the worst ever EPL finish, worst title defence, embarrassment at home, Cup losses to Swansea and Sunderland, humiliation in the transfer market and a 51-point swing in Liverpool’s favour?

SIGNS OF PROBLEMS STARTED IN BONDI!

The Telegraph’s Mark Ogden, who broke the news of Fergie’s retirement last year, writes a fascinating piece charting Moyes’s downfall - starting with his first baby steps at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

A stroll on our famous sand worked when he was here with Everton, but his impromptu activity with his United team highlighted he hadn’t grasped the magnitude of what he had at his fingertips.

News_Image_File: The Manchester United team and players leave Icebergs, Bondi, today.

“It was akin to a supply teacher taking a group of unruly sixth formers on a day out, with the leader’s authority undermined from the outset,” he wrote.

Ogden writes that Moyes seemed in awe of his new role throughout the tour, while also failing to adapt. Players were run into the ground in training and Moyes wasn’t prepared to change - best symbolised by sacking Sir Alex Ferguson’s staff and bringing in his own.

UNITED DENIES MOYES HAS BEEN SACKED

MOYES’S RECORD BREAKING SEASON

News_Image_File: The Manchester United team and players at Icebergs, Bondi.

“It suggested he was not prepared to step out of the comfort zone he had earned at Everton. None of those coaches would challenge him in a way that more seasoned and successful staff would have done and it allowed Moyes to continue on his course to disaster,” Ogden writes.

News_Image_File: Word begins to spread.

DENIAL

Moyes has put on a brave face, but United, a club that prides itself as one of the biggest in the world, was becoming a laughing stock.

And the new boss wasn’t doing himself any favours.

“We played well in the first half but conceded two on the counter-attack. We didn’t deserve to be 2-0 down. We had good control of the game and possession of the ball. We didn’t defend well for the goals, though. That was right rotten,” he said after the Everton defeat.

The truth?

Here’s how Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher saw it.

“That’s the worst I’ve seen from them over 90 minutes,” he said. “Nobody seems to know what’s going on, on the pitch or in the dugout. You can’t see what the plan is. When I played it was total dominance from Manchester United. I’m looking at this team and wondering why they didn’t play like that when I was playing.”

News_Rich_Media: Manchester United manager David Moyes has made an unhappy return to the place he called home for 11 years, with his new team going down to old side Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park.

UNACCEPTABLE BUT UNITED ARE DIFFERENT

Manchester United legend Gary Neville implored United to stand firm, despite admitting the “unacceptable” performance against Everton did Moyes “no favours”.

“I’ve been associated with the club for 30 years and that’s what I’ve always believed,” he told Sky Sports.

“From Dave Sexton to Ron Atkinson - people will say those are different times - and Sir Alex Ferguson himself got time in his early years when it was difficult for him.

“I genuinely believe that when you give a man a six-year contract that he deserves an opportunity and the time.

“The reason we are sat [in a TV studio] is because we look at football management and think of it as being a world of madness, an absolute world of madness where the average manager gets sacked every 12 months.

News_Image_File: The Daily Mail’s online splash on Tuesday morning.

“I’ve always felt that Manchester United should be different and hold itself up as a club that basically stands against what is happening in the game.

“We used to laugh at Italy 20 years ago and say it was ridiculous what’s happening there, but now we have almost become accustomed to it.

“I think fans are well within their rights, but I don’t like it when professional people - people inside the game - come out with statements that suggest a manager should be sacked.

“It’s not something you’ll ever hear from me because it’s a difficult job, something that I’ve never done.”News_Image_File: Back to local knowledge to look after United.

GIGGS WILL TAKE OVER

The Daily Telegraph reports that the plan had been to assess the situation at season’s end, where it was likely they would have parted ways with Moyes.

But should urgent action be needed, club legend Ryan Giggs will be parachuted into a caretaker role, with Nicky Butt his assistant.

Mark Ogden, the reporter that broke Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement story, added that the backroom staff he brought in are also likely to be dismissed.

“Moyes is likely to receive compensation of one year’s salary rather than the remaining five years of his deal, with key performance targets having been missed in United’s worst ­campaign for almost a quarter of a century. He will be forced to endure the humiliation of reporting for training before the formalities of his departure are completed,” he reported.

News_Rich_Media: The top five goals from round 35 of the Premier League.

CHINESE WHISPERS

The Daily Mirror has made the extraordinary claim that the decision has not only already been made, but United’s players were already talking about it before the weekend.

“United players were telling friends they were adamant that their manager would be ‘sacked within days’ on the eve of the 2-0 loss, having heard of significant developments within the Old Trafford hierarchy,” the paper reports.

News_Image_File: It’s a front page story in England.

MISSED EVERY MARK

The obituaries have already been written.

“Moyes was the wrong man for the job; he just did not realise it. He will find future work, maybe even success, but his reputation will never fully recover. He will always be remembered as the man who took over from Ferguson and blew it,” wrote Daniel Taylor in The Guardian. He added: “Brendan Rodgers is one of the managers whose tactical expertise has made Moyes look stodgy and better suited for a club with lesser ambitions. Roberto Martinez, who replaced Moyes at Everton, is another.”

Sky Sports’ Daniel Storey wrote: “One of the principal excuses for United’s obvious underachievement this season has been that, after just two transfer windows, this isn’t yet his team ... whilst that may well contain a degree of truth, it’s an explanation that looks ridiculous in comparison with Everton. In just nine months Martinez has made changes not just in personnel but also markedly altered Everton’s shape, style and ethos. Under Moyes, Everton were the best of the Premier League’s ‘rest’, but the Spaniard has provided evidence that it is foolish to place such a glass ceiling on potential achievement.”

In an analysis “They could have had the Special One. Instead they got the Problem One”, the Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel said: “It would have boiled down to a simple question by the end. Can we trust this man to spend £200million? The Glazers would have sifted through all the available evidence and decided they could not”.

In reality, it looks as simple as this.

“Honest David Moyes never looked like a Man United manager, so the time is right to end his torment,” wrote Nooruddean Choudry in the Mirror.

News_Image_File: The Times’ back page tomorrow.

GRIM READING

The Grim Reaper may have been ejected at Goodison Park, but a synopsis of Moyes’s tenure is nothing but grim reading.

Early defeats at Liverpool and Manchester City set the tone on the field, after his transfer flurry peaked with late success in dragging Marouane Fellaini from Everton, missing out on Leighton Baines and, crucially, renewal in midfield via Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara and others.

There was a minor win netting Juan Mata in January, but even with the classy Spaniard, Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa and Adnan Januzaj at his disposal, Moyes’s side looks disjointed.

Then there’s also been the reported player discontent, doubts over his training methods, and players wanting away, Danny Welbeck the latest to be reportedly dismayed with his Old Trafford prospects.

“Danny Welbeck is really important to me and I really value him. There have been lots of stories. I can only tell you Danny Welbeck is really important to me and really important to Manchester United,” Moyes said in response.

Is Robin van Persie happy? Why has Nemanja Vidic left? Anderson made his feelings clear, while it will be interesting to see if we hear from the likes of Wilfried Zaha or Javier Hernandez, who were peripheral figures this term.

WHO NEXT?

There will be plenty of speculation to come, but Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone couldn’t escape questions about the job prospects at his press conference ahead of the Champions League clash with Chelsea.

The Mirror reports that Holland boss Louis van Gaal is ready for talks, while the Daily Mail has Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp as the perfect fit for the job after building the Bundesliga outfit into a top class force.

Laurent Blanc and Fabio Capello are two other names being floated around, along with the usual contenders like Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.

News_Image_File: Jurgen Klopp ... could he be the next United manager?