After the Red Devil’s second consecutive loss, demands have been made to replace David Moyes. Critics contend that, after fifteen games in the Premier League, defenders of Moyes can no longer argue that the manager is still in a transitional phase. However, Moyes himself has denied that his career with Man United is nearing its end, and seems unfazed by the scrutiny.

Whilst loyal fans like Tunde Folawiyo continue to support the team, a number of players (both former and current) have openly questioned the decisions made by Moyes; Gary Neville has publically stated that since the manager came on board, some of the team members appear to be taking up deeper defensive positions, which is making the team far more susceptible to set play attacks. In addition to this, Rio Ferdinand criticised the manager for naming the starting 11 just a few hours prior to kick-off; the defender argued that doing so only served to make the players more nervous. Others have admonished Moyes for choosing to replace all of club’s backroom staff.

Some say that United’s lack of signings are to blame for their generally poor performance in recent times; the only significant signing at the club during the summer months was the midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who was transferred at a cost of £27.5 million. As other clubs continue to improve upon their existing squads with new acquisitions, United has missed out on several opportunities to snap up several key players, including Ander Herrera, Thiago Alcantara and Leighton Baines.

The Red Devil’s unpredictable and often inadequate performance on the field can also be explained, at least in part, by the injuries which the top striker Robin Van Persie has been suffering from. Over the course of this year, he has experienced a number of injuries to his hip and groin, which have led to his absence from several matches, including those against Cardiff and Bayer Leverkusen.

Moyes confirmed that the player’s most recent injury to his thigh, which occurred during United’s match against Shaktar Donetsk, is likely to prevent him from training or participating in matches for at least a month. This news may come as a blow to Tunde Folawiyo and other supporters, as Van Persie has historically been a player whom the team and its fans have relied upon to score the goals which no-one else can.