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The Theatre of Dreams has turned into the Coliseum and it could be thumbs down for Moyes if United are hammered by City

Julius Caesar was assassinated during the Ides of March but he was not the only one to suffer while ancient Rome celebrated its spring holiday.

In one annual ritual an old man was draped in goat skins, whipped, beaten and driven from the City by the mob.

Are you reading, David Moyes? When he accepted the invitation to move from Everton to Manchester United last summer Moyes was in the prime of life and seemed younger than his 50 years.

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Low point: Moyes whispers to Wayne Rooney during United's 3-0 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday

How he has aged in appearance during his eight months of trials and tribulations as the new Emperor of Old Trafford.

He wears now the careworn look of an old man.

Those animal hides, he may not wish to know, identified that stooping victim of the Roman crowd as the sacrificial scapegoat for any ills besetting the Empire.

Prophetic? Well, beware the Ides of March. Even more than Greeks bearing gifts.

Olympiacos came to Old Trafford armed with the two goals presented to them by United in the first leg of their Champions League tie in Athens.

Moyes’ United made a dramatic comeback to squeeze through to the quarter finals but Wednesday night’s win over the moderate Greek champions is not the result which will decide the fate of Moyes.

It is the March 25 match against Manchester City which lurks as menacingly as did Cassius and Brutus on the steps of the Roman Forum.

This is the one Moyes dare not lose, even though he is Sir Alex Ferguson’s anointed one.

A tense struggle against one of Europe’s lesser lights is not ideal. But defeat inflicted by the enemy within the City walls at a critical time like this would surely be as fatal as a dagger in the back.

Especially as it would come so painfully hard on the heels of crushing home defeat by those other hated rivals from Liverpool.

The Theatre of Dreams is in danger of turning into the Coliseum.

Nor is this Saturday’s expedition to London by any means certain to be a triumphal march breeding confidence. United never seem to find it easy at West Ham.

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Manchester Mauling: Sergio Aguero celebrates opening the scoring in City's 4-1 win over United in September

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Sergio strikes: Aguero scores the winner for City the last time the teams met at Old Trafford

But for the castle to fall to City so soon after United have been hammered 3-0 by Liverpool would be a small death, at the very least. A terminal event if the score is heavy against them.

It is hard to imagine Moyes surviving any beating at Old Trafford just now, let alone a repeat of the 6-1 massacre there which primed City for the 2012 Premier League title.

Ferguson had more than enough credit in the bank to be given all the time he needed to regain the Championship, which he promptly did last season.

But Moyes? The hounds of the social media are on his case. The mob are at the gates. The clock is ticking. The faithful are departing.

A consummate professional and decent man has his back to the wall.
That may be a fairly wise position to adopt, given that he can no longer be certain who he can trust.

The number of those, either in the stadium or close to the throne, who still believe Moyes to be the natural heir to Sir Alex appears to be dwindling.

His honesty – for example about Liverpool’s new-found superiority over United – is commendable but liable to be used against him.

A former protégé of his at Everton, Kevin Sheedy, has stuck the knife in.
United have been forced to deny that Ryan Giggs, a legendary player under Ferguson and now a budding coach at the club, has fallen out with Moyes.

Wayne Rooney is driving going berserk trying to lift United bodily into the Champions League qualifying positions – probably in vain.

Robin van Persie says he is committed to United but is not playing like it.
United are beginning to fear a period in the wilderness as prolonged as that endured by Liverpool.

And while United’s finances are predicated on success, their manager is beginning to resemble, if not an old goat, a stag at bay.

Ferguson recommended a man he honestly believed to be his natural successor.

But Sir Alex is such a hard act to follow that it might have been better to make Moyes the manager after the next manager.

Who might that become now? Giggs would appear to be somewhere in the line of succession and could even take temporary charge if the deed is done soon.

But whenever the end comes from Moyes – and if only for the sake of his sanity I for one hope it will be much later rather than sooner – a familiar, Machiavellian figure is certain to be among those in waiting.

Sir Alex is an admirer of Senhor Mourinho and Caesar would have had a phrase for him:

Et tu Jose.

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