Alex Ferguson has rejected crticisim that he setup David Moyes for failure at Manchester United.
Ferguson said Moyes had found it “a massive jump” to move to Old Trafford. “He hadn’t realised just how big United is as a club,” Ferguson writes in his autobiography.
Ferguson also suggested Moyes keep Mike Phelan as assistant manager, but the former Everton manager brought in his own staff.
“Maybe David felt that at such a massive club he had to be sure that all corners were covered in terms of his support system. I felt that network was already there, with plenty of great people already in important slots.”
Ferguson continues: “As the results deteriorated, each defeat was a hammer blow to him. I could see that in his demeanour. In January we bought Juan Mata and that gave everyone a lift but I could see the walls squeezing in, leaving David with less and less room to breathe. I know that feeling from 1989, when we went through a terrible spell. You feel you are being crushed. The results gnawed away at David. Nobody could dispute how disappointing the season was. And it cost a man his job.”
Ferguson dismissed the suggestions that United was running an antiquated system.
“Antiquated was a bizarre description of the structure I left behind at Manchester United. Have you seen our new training ground?”