David Moyes’ stewardship of Manchester United is not remembered fondly by fans of the Red Devils. Recommended by the departing Sir Alex Ferguson, those associated with the club were confident about his appointment given he had the backing of the stubborn Scotsman.
Employed for the solitary season, Glasgow-born Moyes was in the Old Trafford dugout between July 2013 and April 2014, overseeing 51 outings across all competitions, but ultimately failed to live up to the expectations which were exemplified by his predecessor.
David Moyes – Man Utd Managerial Statistics | |
|---|---|
Appointed | 01/07/13 |
In charge until | 22/04/14 |
Matches | 51 |
Wins | 26 |
Draws | 10 |
Losses | 15 |
Points per match | 1.73 |
Now 61 years old, the ex-West Ham United boss is out of managerial work – so why not take a trip down memory lane to remember his four-man shortlist while in charge of the 13-time Premier League champions?
According to reports at the time and interviews that have happened since his sacking in April 2014, Moyes had a quartet of stars on his radar pre-departure and looking back now, there was every chance that his managerial stay at the Theatre of Dreams could have been extended if his respective pursuits were fruitful.
Leighton Baines
Notable clubs: Everton
Interestingly, Everton’s Leighton Baines was one of the names on the shortlist – and although he’s not the sexiest of names, the now-retired Englishman was a reliable figure on the left-hand side of defence for the Toffees and, for the right price, could have been a shrewd acquisition for the Red Devils.
At the time that Moyes was interested in bringing his former left-back – alongside the Marmite-like Marouane Fellaini – to Old Trafford, Patrice Evra was forced to play in what was the Frenchman’s final season in the famed red of the club.
Commonly regarded as one of the best penalty takers in English top-flight history, by virtue of his 90/9% success rate from the spot, Baines remained at Goodison Park post-Moyes interest. His availability, combined with his ageing body, meant that he gradually became the club’s second choice at left-back but he is certainly an all-time great for the club in the Premier League era.
Gareth Bale
Notable clubs: Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid
An electric winger who made a name for himself at Tottenham Hotspur after an impressive academy career at Southampton, Gareth Bale enjoyed the most illustrious stint of his career at Real Madrid. The Welshman, one of the greatest British wingers in football history, moved to Los Blancos in the summer of 2013 and won everything there is to win at club level.
Bale’s stint in Spain seems to divide opinion due to his injury record and struggles to adapt to the culture – but should he have stayed in England, who knows what he could have achieved with Manchester United? The latter struggled to find a long-term heir for Cristiano Ronaldo after he left in 2009 and Bale’s superstardom would have filled the void.
Having just picked up the Premier League’s Player of the Year award, his confidence was sky-high – and if Moyes had got his hands on him, there was every chance that his stint would have lasted beyond the solitary campaign. Instead, the wide man joined Real Madrid and became one of the world’s best, bamboozling defences on a week-by-week basis. That said, some argue that his exploits were not best utilised in the Spanish capital thanks to playing in Ronaldo’s shadow.
Bale retired in January 2023, aged just 33, and now spends his days playing golf.
Toni Kroos
Notable clubs: Bayern Munich, Real Madrid
Pre-Moyes, Manchester United were used to having a classy operator in the midfield: Paul Scholes. The Ginger Prince left alongside Ferguson, however, leaving the then-boss with a gaping hole in the middle of the park. Toni Kroos, one of the greatest deep-lying playmakers in football history, would have been the perfect replacement – or so Moyes thought.
Despite his efforts, the Scot was unable to get his hands on the German, who was 23 years of age at the time, despite having a deal in place. He, per The Guardian, said:
“Toni Kroos had agreed to come in the summer. I’d agreed it and with Toni himself and his agent. It was a done deal, so that was the level I was targeting – but sometimes you don’t get deals done.”
A stroke of genius missed from the Manchester United higher-ups, Griefswald-born Kroos has since emerged as one of the greatest central midfielders of modern football history – and hung up his boots as a World Cup winner and a six-time Champions League winner this summer.
Cesc Fabregas
Notable clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona
Cesc Fabregas is a true Premier League icon, having shone for both Chelsea and Arsenal over the years, but there was every chance the Spaniard could have played for Manchester United if Moyes had his way. A creative genius who had a knack for making onerous tasks look like second nature, the two-time Premier League champion
At that time, midfielder Michael Carrick was no spring chicken in the engine room – and the addition of 27-year-old Fabregas, a man in his prime, would’ve been welcomed with open arms by the Old Trafford faithful.
Plying his trade for Barcelona at the time of Moyes’ interest, the cool and collected engine room operator winded up in the Premier League – but playing for Chelsea. Spain and technically gifted footballers go hand in hand and Fabregas is a perfect example of that.
Deployed in the Stamford Bridge engine room between 2014 and 2019 before joining French side Monaco, there were not many footballers as talented as the 110-cap Spain international, one who was part of La Roja’s World Cup-winning squad in 2010. What a player he would have been for the Red Devils.
He now works as head coach of Serie A club Como, having spent a brief spell with the Italian team as a player before retiring in 2023.
All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 06/10/24