David Moyes: I needed more time at Manchester United

David Moyes believes he was not given enough time before being sacked as manager of Manchester United.

The Scot took over from Sir Alex Ferguson in July 2013 but was dismissed the following April with the then-champions seventh in the league.

“I was devastated to lose the job because it was something I felt we could make a real success of,” Moyes told the Mail on Sunday. 

“In the end, I don’t feel I was given the time to succeed or fail.”

Reports that Moyes was to be dismissed broke a day before the 51-year-old’s departure.

In his first interview about those events, the article explained how Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward did not confirm the news to Moyes but called him in to a meeting at 08:00 BST the following day.

Moyes apparently went in early and had a jog around United’s training complex at four in the morning before clearing out his desk.

“In the end it was difficult for my family, the way we discovered - via the media - that I’d lost my job,” he said.

Moyes left Everton after 11 years in charge at Goodison Park to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson, who had been at the helm for 26 years.

He said while it was the “impossible job” it was also “the right job” for him at the time.

Woodward was also new to his role after the departure of David Gill and a criticism of him and Moyes was their struggles in the transfer market, with Everton’s Marouane Fellaini their only major summer signing.

“It’s been well documented that we wanted Cesc Fabregas, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo,” said Moyes.

“There was talk of Ronaldo when I first arrived. We were close to getting a couple of major names.

“I’m not getting in a blame game here but things just didn’t materialise.

“I had taken over from the most successful manager in history. The chief executive had taken over from one of the most renowned administrators in the game. So it was a new job for two people.”