Moyes: Made of the same cloth
Quote:
Right man, right time
"He's Scottish, he's made from the same cloth as Sir Alex and he's the kind of guy you look at and think 'stability'."
- Peter Schmeichel
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David Moyes has been at Everton's helm since March 2002, during which time he’s proved a big hit with the blue half of Merseyside.
So, what do Manchester United fans need to know about the man who’s been charged with leading the Reds into life after Sir Alex Ferguson? Here's our quick guide to the new gaffer...
Shared roots
Like Sir Alex, David Moyes hails from working-class Glasgow. Both men also turned out for Dunfermline Athletic in their playing days (albeit 23 years apart) and, between them, represented Rangers (Sir Alex) and Celtic (Moyes).
Playing career
David Moyes pulled on seven clubs’ shirts during his 19-year playing career as a centre-back. And while he never scaled particularly lofty heights nor earned international recognition, he made more than 550 appearances both north and south of the border.
Student of the game
Moyes reportedly began taking his coaching badges when he was just 22 and kept detailed notes of the techniques and tactics employed by his managers. That probably helps explain his early move into coaching, as a player-manager at Preston North End (then Division Two), aged 35.
Pedigree with Preston
When he first took the reins at PNE, in January 1998, the Lancashire club were in danger of dropping down to the fourth tier of English football. Barely two years later, Moyes guided North End to the 1999/2000 Division Two title, clear of regional rivals Burnley by seven points. The following season, with almost the same squad, Moyes’ Preston came within a whisker of promotion to the Premier League.
Loyal and experienced
Moyes has been at Everton for more than 11 years, making him the third-longest serving manager in the Premier League after Sir Alex and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. As Sir Alex once said admiringly, “David has had to contend with not having a strong financial structure. He has had to get the best out of the players he has had available and he has done an amazing job.” The average length of service for a Premier League manager is less than four seasons.
Award winning
David has scooped individual honours on numerous occasions. He was won the League Managers’ Association’s Manager of the Year award – voted for by his fellow football bosses – on three occasions, in 2003, 2005 and 2009. Sir Alex is the only other man to have achieved this hat-trick. In addition, Moyes has been named Premier League Manager of the Month – an accolade directly linked to team results - on 10 occasions. Sir Alex’s record tally of 15 monthly awards is, of course, spread over a longer period of time.
Head to head
Moyes locked horns with Ferguson on 24 occasions and, like most managers who have taken on Sir Alex down the years, lost more often than he won. In fact, the Toffees boss triumphed just three times after 90 minutes (and once at Wembley on penalties in the 2009 FA Cup semi-final). However, he did mastermind one of the greatest comebacks achieved by an away team at Old Trafford in recent years when Everton rallied from 4-2 down with seven minutes remaining to draw 4-4 in April 2012. There was a similar outcome at Goodison Park in September 2010 when Moyes' men, seemingly beaten by United with the score at 3-1 going into injury time, grabbed two last-gasp goals to draw 3-3. This ability to eke out every last drop of effort from his players, until well beyond the 90th minute, should stand him in good stead at a club where dramatic late triumphs are part of the fabric.
Beating the Blues
Moyes boasts an excellent record against the 'modern' Manchester City, having won seven and drawn one of his 10 meetings with them since Sheikh Mansour's takeover early in 2008/09. This sequence includes two 'doubles' - victories at home and away in the same season - and four consecutive wins at Goodison Park. The last of these, 2-0 on 16 March 2013, helped United to go 15 points clear in the title race as the Reds defeated Reading 1-0 later that day. Only three Premier League teams have beaten City at the Etihad Stadium in the last three seasons - United last December, Arsenal (in October 2010) and Moyes' Everton (in December 2010).
Mentoring Rooney
Of course, Moyes was the man who handed Wayne Rooney his chance at Everton, aged just 16. He played a vital role in Rooney’s early development and once recalled the England striker’s formative years: “He was very shy but had an enthusiasm on the training pitch that was akin to how any boy is playing football with his pals in the park. He scored a goal in training once where he chipped the keeper from such an incredible angle that it was met by silence. All the coaches just looked at each other as if to say: 'Did that really happen?' A phenomenal talent.”
Endorsed by legends
Peter Schmeichel enjoyed unprecedented glory as the great goalkeeper in United's trophy-laden team of the 1990's. The Treble winner is therefore more than qualified to comment on the qualities required to succeed Sir Alex successfully. "David Moyes has been at Everton for more than a decade and he's done a fantastic job. He's Scottish, he's made from the same cloth as Sir Alex and he's the kind of guy you look at and you think 'stability'. Beyond anything else, that is the most important thing for Manchester United."