Man Utd: 5 Reasons Why David Moyes' Team Are So Different To Sir Alex Ferguson's

5. No Authority In The Transfer Market

An issue that arose straight away under Moyes' reign was his dealings in the transfer market. He was forced to be as frugal as possible during his time at Everton, with chairman Bill Kenwright giving as much as he could in order to strengthen the squad. When Moyes took over at United he encountered a very different set of circumstances. Although not in the best financial position, United are at least one of the most marketable clubs in the world, and are able to splash out when necessary as Moyes' predecessor showed on numerous occasions. However, the new man seemed constrained by invisible ropes tying his hands as he looked to strengthen the squad. Long term target Leighton Baines was not obtained, and a disastrous attempt to buy Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera ended in embarrassment for the club. The only player Moyes was able to bring in was Marouane Fellaini, and even that brought its problems, with United paying more than they could have by buying late rather than make an earlier bid, which would have meant taking advantage of the Belgian's buyout clause. Unfortunately for Moyes, the hirsute midfielder has turned out to be more useless than a chocolate fire guard. The problem being of course that if you are to buy abroad as Moyes was evidently trying to do, it doesn't help if no one knows who you are. Yes you may be in charge of one of the biggest clubs in the world, but it's no use if the targets don't even know the manager's name. Cristiano Ronaldo was targeted for a return to Old Trafford after rumours of being unhappy at Real Madrid, rumours that went away almost instantly after Sir Alex announced his intentions to retire. Moyes had not even played in the Champions League before, with his only fleeting appearance being in the preliminary qualifiers which Everton lost to Spanish side Villarreal. A lack of authority was clearly evident, and one that meant a drastic change of fortunes in the transfer market for the English champions.