After almost 27 years in charge at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign is coming to an end. This morning’s shock announcement has immediately seen David Moyes installed as the bookies overwhelming favourite to succeed his fellow-Scot and with reports suggesting United’s new manager will “be cut from (the) same cloth as Ferguson and Busby, and believe in youth development,” the Everton manager’s chances of taking the United reins looks increasingly likely:
The news certainly affords the final two Gameweeks of the current campaign an extra significance. Sunday’s home match with Swansea will be Ferguson’s last fixture in front of his own fans – a hugely emotional day, no doubt, but one that he’ll be determined to pick up the points in after recent stutters against Arsenal and Chelsea. With a trip to West Brom on the last day of the season, United’s schedule is more than favourable and may well see Ferguson roll out the big guns in order to go out in style. The last thing Ferguson will want is to limp over the finishing line – Robin Van Persie’s owners will be far more confident of game time, while Wayne Rooney could return to the XI after being dropped to the bench against the Blues. Fears over rest and rotation have somewhat diminished, with the Dutchman now looking a real armband favourite once again.
Indeed, Moyes’ potential exit from Everton is also likely to have a knock-on effect for Gameweeks 37-38. Rumours continue to circulate of an appointment within the next 48 hours – if confirmed, Moyes would also have his final home match in charge of the club this weekend as the Toffees entertain West Ham at Goodison Park. Some Marouane Fellaini owners may even be tempted to hand the big Belgian the armband – having returned to the role in “the hole” behind Victor Anichebe against Liverpool last Sunday, Fellaini should cause the Hammers plenty of problems before Everton roll up to Stamford Bridge on the final day of the season.
Looking forward to next term, Moyes’ expected arrival at Old Trafford looks an intriguing one. The Scot has continually worked wonders at Everton on a shoestring budget but his detractors will say he has no real experience of battling for honours on an annual basis. Certainly, Moyes’ league record with Everton cannot be argued with, though budgetary restrictions at Goodison over the years means it’s difficult to ascertain to what extent he would alter his approach; a somewhat defensive set-up on the road at times means he’s yet to win away to United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool in 45 attempts, for example. While his favoured formation of 4-4-1-1, with Fellaini tucking in behind a lone forward and feeding off crosses from the flanks has been a real feature of his side’s play this season, a more adventurous style will be required at Old Trafford.
Moyes’ potential arrival would undoubtedly fuel the rumours of Wayne Rooney’s departure. Moyes successfully sued Rooney for libel and received “substantial damages” after allegations in the player’s autobiography a few years back. Although the pair have since publicly reconciled, Rooney has become a peripheral figure under Ferguson over the last few months and may decide it’s time for a new challenge, with both Bayern and PSG reportedly hovering.
Over at Everton, Moyes’ departure would certainly affect the Fantasy landscape. Fellaini and Leighton Baines have racked up the points this term and with a home record of one defeat at Goodison all season, the Toffees have offered a reliable source of returns under Moyes. Question marks will surely hover over the duo, though. Baines has long been mooted as the successor to Patrice Evra at left-back – sitting first and second in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) standings, both have racked up the points this term, though Baines’ potential arrival would undoubtedly put him in pole position. While a move to United would bolster Baines’ appeal, he’d likely have to fall in line for spot-kick duties, with Van Persie now the club’s number one penalty taker. Baines started this season at 7.0 in FPL and in spite of his exploits, a rise to 7.5 seems realistic regardless of where he ends up, with FPL unlikely to hike his price further.
Fellaini’s potential is also set to come under question. The Belgian has been linked with a move away from Merseyside for much of the season and Moyes’ possible exit could persuade him it’s time to move on. Currently sitting on 163 FPL points, thanks to 11 goals and seven assists, he could well be moved into a central midfield berth if he follows Moyes out of Goodison, lessening his appeal considerably ahead of next season.
Furthermore, the installation of Moyes could prove frustrating from an injury-update perspective. Granted, Ferguson would occasionally roll out shrouded “misinformation” during his regular Friday morning press conferences but Moyes is even more cagey than his compatriot –notoriously reluctant to give anything anyway, we’ll be preparing ourselves for his regular “knocks and niggles” statements ahead of our weekend Fantasy deadlines.
