What Now For Moyes?

He's starting his PR to try and get himself another job. Nothing wrong with that but he does talk some bollocks.

1. Says he wanted Ronaldo and Bale as if to imply that Woodward failed. If he thought there were realistic hopes of getting these players it shows how incredibly naive he is. Ronaldo was using us to get a fat new contract at Madrid and Bale always wanted to go to Madrid.

2. Says he tried to not to change too much since it was a "big job". Well except rip up a title winning coaching team and replace them with Evertons.

3. Says he wasn't given enough time to "succeed" or "fail". He failed. Period. He failed to meet any sort of reasonable expectation for the season which is why he had to go. Any other top side around Europe and he'd have been gone by Christmas. I reckon he could've been given another season even if he didn't finish in the top 4. All the club would've hoped for signs of improvement to justify giving him another year but the most galling thing was that the more time the players spent with him as manager the worse they got. This is why he had to go.


He mentions that he managed like he was managing at Everton. Saying that in hindsight he'd have managed differently. In one line that is the crux of the issue and over the season he showed no signs that he was willing to change. Hence he is gone.

The only thing I'll agree with was that the sacking wasn't handled nicely. However these things are never pretty.
 
I'm very fond of Moyes. He's a good Mgr that got put in an impossible spot. Following saf and taking over a team with an aging defence and an underperforming midfield. He should have been given a few more years
Christ! A FEW MORE YEARS? Are you serious? He had three entire months to buy who ever he wanted. He had almost a year to play the formation he wanted and switch it up if it didn't work but he was too stubborn and too stupid to do that. He went and changed the entire staff that helped the previous manager win the league. Do I need to go on? Im sure you get the point.
 
Bit of a nothing interview really, he's protecting himself to get into another job which is fair enough. Whether or not he actually believes he didn't get enough time is irrelevant, he's not going to admit he failed so of course he'll use the excuse of not being given enough time even if it doesn't hold. The bit about not changing his methods from Everton were a bit weird though. Openly admitting you didn't think you needed to adapt your approach from managing a cash strapped upper midtable club where he never won anything when coming to a club like United is pretty ridiculous when you think about it. Really does give credence to all those who said he was turning us into Everton. Also thinking Bale, Ronaldo were appropriate targets is completely delusional on his part. If they were Moyes' main targets then he definitely deserves a lot of the flak for last summer's debacle.
 
That interview is basically the managerial equivalent of the Michael Owen brochure, and equally as cringeworthy.
 
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Embarrasingly biased interview. No difficult questions asked and the journalist defends Moyes through the entire article. Maybe Moyes hired him as a PR guy. Moyes' responses are expected. Cry me a river, you self-righteous, self-pitying, arrogant, ugly, clueless git, I'm so happy you're gone.
 
Christ! A FEW MORE YEARS? Are you serious? He had three entire months to buy who ever he wanted. He had almost a year to play the formation he wanted and switch it up if it didn't work but he was too stubborn and too stupid to do that. He went and changed the entire staff that helped the previous manager win the league. Do I need to go on? Im sure you get the point.
the guy's you're responding to is a (WUM) liverpool fan
 
I never want to say a bad word about the man but he makes it impossible. The reason Van Gaal is struggling already is because of the mid table mentality Moyes instilled at this club. It's obvious to anyone with a football brain now that Moyes should have been sacked at Christmas yet was given 4 months too long in the job. He was simply Miles out of his depth....If your given 200 million to spend and all you have to show for it is Fellaini....and if you have a team of world class attackers yet break the record for the most crosses in one game against the bottom team in the league and still don't manage to win then something is seriously wrong......Moyes needs to stick to what he is good at - getting the best out of lower to mid table teams using defensive tactics
 
"I went into the job thinking I want to do exactly what I done at Everton"


Well, at least we know how/why we finished 7th now

Quite telling.

Thats why he is angry and feel unfairly done by -- with his Evertonian mindset and expectations, he just doesn't see how he has failed.
 
9 months was far more than ample enough time to prove himself. There was not even an inkling of improvment in attacking sense, just the same old predictable 4-4-2 that got found out time and time again.

Of course he's not absolutely 100% at fault for our current state but it's hard to deny that he contributed to it significantly by holding our squad back from developing properly which is why Van Gaal is left with such an unbalanced squad (he said himself he's left with lots of 10s and lack of wingers, or something along those lines). He said he went into the job thinking that this was going to be another Everton job which only strengthens my view that Moyes was not the right man to succeed Ferguson, really.
 
It just confirms my belief (which I stated in the newbies) that he felt his Everton system was perfect and that if he could replicate it with his coaching staff at a club with better players he would be vindicated as a genius. Just shows how big his ego was.
 
I can't wait to see where Moyes lands.

While the entire world knows he did a shit job at United, it can't be denied denied he did a decent job for Everton. Crystal Palace could be a perfect for him.
 
I can't wait to see where Moyes lands.

While the entire world knows he did a shit job at United, it can't be denied denied he did a decent job for Everton. Crystal Palace could be a perfect for him.
Doing well at palace would just crystallise the belief that he's a mid table manager.
 
That's very true indeed.

But at least he will get some reputation back. Bring Palace to top 7 or 8, and hopefully a better job come calling.
When you say "better job", if he does well Palace assuming he goes there, he wouldn't get the Liverpool or City job for obvious reasons, Arsenal and Chelsea wouldn't have him so too spurs. So, that rules out the big guns. Which clubs do you mean when you day "a better job"?
 
When you say "better job", if he does well Palace assuming he goes there, he wouldn't get the Liverpool or City job for obvious reasons, Arsenal and Chelsea wouldn't have him so too spurs. So, that rules out the big guns. Which clubs do you mean when you day "a better job"?

No offence to Palace fans, but at the moment, teams like Newcastle and even West Ham are bigger clubs. West Ham would be an ideal club to build his reputation, especially in proving that he can play entertaining football.
 
I never want to say a bad word about the man but he makes it impossible. The reason Van Gaal is struggling already is because of the mid table mentality Moyes instilled at this club. It's obvious to anyone with a football brain now that Moyes should have been sacked at Christmas yet was given 4 months too long in the job. He was simply Miles out of his depth....If your given 200 million to spend and all you have to show for it is Fellaini....and if you have a team of world class attackers yet break the record for the most crosses in one game against the bottom team in the league and still don't manage to win then something is seriously wrong......Moyes needs to stick to what he is good at - getting the best out of lower to mid table teams using defensive tactics
Is this not a misleading opinion?

Simply citing Moyes for creating the whole mess is to miss what's happened at United. While he did a poor job he was also given a poor hand. He inherited a squad that had already peaked and were slowly declining. The walkover 12/13 season gave the impression that the squad was in fine shape but it was simply the last hoorah for that set of players. The defence was too old, the midfield didn't really exist, old-timers were plugging the gaps and RVP was carrying the goal threat.

It was a good team, obviously, but City were a shambles, Chelsea were in transition under Rafa, Liverpool were nowhere and Arsenal were too inconsistent. All of those teams have improved significantly while a United have stood still which in reality means regressed. Well done for winning the title but there wasn't a club to compete that year. Plus, Fergie's supreme knowhow meant that he could squeeze points out of his team like no other.

This isn't a Moyes issue, it's a squad issue. United looked like a League Cup side yesterday, giving fringe players a chance. There's little depth compared to the other four contending squads. I include Liverpool in this despite the prevailing view amongst many that they are making up the numbers in the top 5.

Labelling Moyes as THE reason for the decline is to ignore the bigger picture. Furthermore, the assumption that it all clicks back to "success mode" with a new manager is foolhardy. In fact, the current mindset of many United fans is influenced by the ease to which 12/13 was won. Looking back to move forward is a recipe for failure - I should know.
 
Embarrasingly biased interview. No difficult questions asked and the journalist defends Moyes through the entire article. Maybe Moyes hired him as a PR guy. Moyes' responses are expected. Cry me a river, you self-righteous, self-pitying, arrogant, ugly, clueless git, I'm so happy you're gone.
Why do you think he agreed to the exclusive? It wasn't a hatchet job, it was a cosy chat over lunch. These papers don't get big interviews by hammering the subject.
 
Is this not a misleading opinion?

Simply citing Moyes for creating the whole mess is to miss what's happened at United. While he did a poor job he was also given a poor hand. He inherited a squad that had already peaked and were slowly declining. The walkover 12/13 season gave the impression that the squad was in fine shape but it was simply the last hoorah for that set of players. The defence was too old, the midfield didn't really exist, old-timers were plugging the gaps and RVP was carrying the goal threat.

It was a good team, obviously, but City were a shambles, Chelsea were in transition under Rafa, Liverpool were nowhere and Arsenal were too inconsistent. All of those teams have improved significantly while a United have stood still which in reality means regressed. Well done for winning the title but there wasn't a club to compete that year. Plus, Fergie's supreme knowhow meant that he could squeeze points out of his team like no other.

This isn't a Moyes issue, it's a squad issue. United looked like a League Cup side yesterday, giving fringe players a chance. There's little depth compared to the other four contending squads. I include Liverpool in this despite the prevailing view amongst many that they are making up the numbers in the top 5.

Labelling Moyes as THE reason for the decline is to ignore the bigger picture. Furthermore, the assumption that it all clicks back to "success mode" with a new manager is foolhardy. In fact, the current mindset of many United fans is influenced by the ease to which 12/13 was won. Looking back to move forward is a recipe for failure - I should know.
Most non united fans would agree with you. United's last title winning side wasn't particularly great at all.
 
Is this not a misleading opinion?

Simply citing Moyes for creating the whole mess is to miss what's happened at United. While he did a poor job he was also given a poor hand. He inherited a squad that had already peaked and were slowly declining. The walkover 12/13 season gave the impression that the squad was in fine shape but it was simply the last hoorah for that set of players. The defence was too old, the midfield didn't really exist, old-timers were plugging the gaps and RVP was carrying the goal threat.

It was a good team, obviously, but City were a shambles, Chelsea were in transition under Rafa, Liverpool were nowhere and Arsenal were too inconsistent. All of those teams have improved significantly while a United have stood still which in reality means regressed. Well done for winning the title but there wasn't a club to compete that year. Plus, Fergie's supreme knowhow meant that he could squeeze points out of his team like no other.

This isn't a Moyes issue, it's a squad issue. United looked like a League Cup side yesterday, giving fringe players a chance. There's little depth compared to the other four contending squads. I include Liverpool in this despite the prevailing view amongst many that they are making up the numbers in the top 5.

Labelling Moyes as THE reason for the decline is to ignore the bigger picture. Furthermore, the assumption that it all clicks back to "success mode" with a new manager is foolhardy. In fact, the current mindset of many United fans is influenced by the ease to which 12/13 was won. Looking back to move forward is a recipe for failure - I should know.

Good post.

I think Moyes deserves more blame than you're alluding to but largely agree with the rest. It wasn't 100 % his fault. But at the same time, our situation wasn't irredeemable. I could cite your manager in that he maintained the same position of 7th but there were clear signs of progress despite inheriting a worse squad than Moyes did. It bears repeating that despite all of the squad's flaws we weren't weaker than some of the teams we finished below. With David we not only shed 6 spots on the table but there was no blueprint in a way of going forward and it actually got worse as time wore off. Sorry but he just had to go before we granted him time to drag us down further.
 
Most non united fans would agree with you. United's last title winning side wasn't particularly great at all.
Fair enough. Although I've read about the 12/13 season a lot this summer and how LvG will return the team to that status just be not being Moyes.
 
Is this not a misleading opinion?

Simply citing Moyes for creating the whole mess is to miss what's happened at United. While he did a poor job he was also given a poor hand. He inherited a squad that had already peaked and were slowly declining. The walkover 12/13 season gave the impression that the squad was in fine shape but it was simply the last hoorah for that set of players. The defence was too old, the midfield didn't really exist, old-timers were plugging the gaps and RVP was carrying the goal threat.

It was a good team, obviously, but City were a shambles, Chelsea were in transition under Rafa, Liverpool were nowhere and Arsenal were too inconsistent. All of those teams have improved significantly while a United have stood still which in reality means regressed. Well done for winning the title but there wasn't a club to compete that year. Plus, Fergie's supreme knowhow meant that he could squeeze points out of his team like no other.

This isn't a Moyes issue, it's a squad issue. United looked like a League Cup side yesterday, giving fringe players a chance. There's little depth compared to the other four contending squads. I include Liverpool in this despite the prevailing view amongst many that they are making up the numbers in the top 5.

Labelling Moyes as THE reason for the decline is to ignore the bigger picture. Furthermore, the assumption that it all clicks back to "success mode" with a new manager is foolhardy. In fact, the current mindset of many United fans is influenced by the ease to which 12/13 was won. Looking back to move forward is a recipe for failure - I should know.
Hard to argue against that but the rebuilding job was interrupted by the wasted summer wherehe ignored players previously scouted to chase delusional targets. Do you think this squad would be in the same state if he has signed Strootman, Garay and an LB ? He came in and chose Fellaini instead of Strootman, where even McCarthy would have done better than his mope. The squad regressed because most of it's stalwarts had reached their sell by date but Moyes and Woodward did nothing that summer to replace those who were done. If Moyes signs Strootman, Garay and Thiago/Herrera things are looking up and the midfield and defensive frailties that dogged us last season are avoided, he didn't and our decline was confirmed.
 
Good post.

I think Moyes deserves more blame than you're alluding to but largely agree with the rest. It wasn't 100 % his fault. But at the same time, our situation wasn't irredeemable. I could cite your manager in that he maintained the same position of 7th but there were clear signs of progress despite inheriting a worse squad than Moyes did. It bears repeating that despite all of the squad's flaws we weren't weaker than some of the teams we finished below. With David we not only shed 6 spots on the table but there was no blueprint in a way of going forward and it actually got worse as time wore off. Sorry but he just had to go before we granted him time to drag us down further.
Yes, I think Moyes wasn't the man to get things right but the idiosyncratic manner in which Fergie did things (with outstanding results) kind of meant a new guy had to start again. Needed time. It also meant that typical transition wasn't applicable so the smooth continuation of success was all but impossible.

From the outside looking in it looks like the squad needs huge work. Bigger that I even thought.
 
If what he did at Everton was what he wanted to do with us then he certainly was given time to do that. Shite football and a 7th place finish.
 
He's starting his PR to try and get himself another job. Nothing wrong with that but he does talk some bollocks.

1. Says he wanted Ronaldo and Bale as if to imply that Woodward failed. If he thought there were realistic hopes of getting these players it shows how incredibly naive he is. Ronaldo was using us to get a fat new contract at Madrid and Bale always wanted to go to Madrid.

2. Says he tried to not to change too much since it was a "big job". Well except rip up a title winning coaching team and replace them with Evertons.

3. Says he wasn't given enough time to "succeed" or "fail". He failed. Period. He failed to meet any sort of reasonable expectation for the season which is why he had to go. Any other top side around Europe and he'd have been gone by Christmas. I reckon he could've been given another season even if he didn't finish in the top 4. All the club would've hoped for signs of improvement to justify giving him another year but the most galling thing was that the more time the players spent with him as manager the worse they got. This is why he had to go.


He mentions that he managed like he was managing at Everton. Saying that in hindsight he'd have managed differently. In one line that is the crux of the issue and over the season he showed no signs that he was willing to change. Hence he is gone.

The only thing I'll agree with was that the sacking wasn't handled nicely. However these things are never pretty.
:lol: so so glad this guy is gone.
 
Hard to argue against that but the rebuilding job was interrupted by the wasted summer wherehe ignored players previously scouted to chase delusional targets. Do you think this squad would be in the same state if he has signed Strootman, Garay and an LB ? He came in and chose Fellaini instead of Strootman, where even McCarthy would have done better than his mope. The squad regressed because most of it's stalwarts had reached their sell by date but Moyes and Woodward did nothing that summer to replace those who were done. If Moyes signs Strootman, Garay and Thiago/Herrera things are looking up and the midfield and defensive frailties that dogged us last season are avoided, he didn't and our decline was confirmed.
But you're playing Football Manager here to some extent. Unless you're Barca or Real it's appearing more and more difficult to acquire these sort if players for a lot of teams - although London teams do have a slight advantage. The transfer market is so incredibly inflated and wages through the roof that getting these guys seems complicated - more than ever.
 
Yes, I think Moyes wasn't the man to get things right but the idiosyncratic manner in which Fergie did things (with outstanding results) kind of meant a new guy had to start again. Needed time. It also meant that typical transition wasn't applicable so the smooth continuation of success was all but impossible.

From the outside looking in it looks like the squad needs huge work. Bigger that I even thought.

Fair enough.

But to your last point IMO teams can have a turnaround rather quickly and I do think people from the outside are under-rating some of our players who're most definitely not displaying their full potential. Perceptions about the strength our squad can be deceiving at this moment in time. Because despite the mildly successful pre-season there will be remnants of the post-Fergie lull or the Moyes-era fallout.

Like no offence, but just to illustrate my point we can take the example of Arsenal or Liverpool. During last summer, everyone was hysterical as how City, Chelsea, United, even Tottenham (post the mega splurge) had significantly better squads and how Arsenal's strength in depth was anemic and how Liverpool lacked world class players after wasting bucket loads on Carroll, Downing and the like. Yet fast forward one season and you're both considered better from a neutral perspective. Shows how rapidly opinions can change football.

I'm not worried about the future now that we have a manager who's renowned for his ability as a team builder. Might not be this year but we'll definitely be there or thereabouts if he's granted some time to turn the ship around (which had become too bloated with dross that are happy to swallow wages and contribute little to results - some of them are out of contract in 2015 - exciting times ! :p).
 
Fair enough.

But to your last point IMO teams can have a turnaround rather quickly and I do think people from the outside are under-rating some of our players who're most definitely not displaying their full potential. Like no offence, but just to illustrate my point we can take the example of Arsenal or Liverpool. During last summer, everyone was hysterical as how City, Chelsea, United, even Tottenham (post the mega splurge) had significantly better squads and how Arsenal's strength in depth was anemic and how Liverpool lacked world class players after wasting bucket loads on Carroll, Downing and the like. Yet fast forward one season and you're both considered better from a neutral perspective. Shows how rapidly opinions can change football.
You're right but Arsenal and Liverpool (particularly Liverpool) were not weighed down by the memory of recent success. Rebuilding for Liverpool and a change in philosophy was essential for the turnaround to happen. Are United in that mindset yet?
 
But you're playing Football Manager here to some extent. Unless you're Barca or Real it's appearing more and more difficult to acquire these sort if players for a lot of teams - although London teams do have a slight advantage. The transfer market is so incredibly inflated and wages through the roof that getting these guys seems complicated - more than ever.
Fergie knew his squad inside out, and we know that Strootman was gettable and Garay confirmed that Moyes pulled the plug on his United move; those are the deals we knew to be close to be done and they would have gone a long way towards making our spine more compact . Realistic targets that would have strengthened our weak areas and he could have had Baines after that.
 
You're right but Arsenal and Liverpool (particularly Liverpool) were not weighed down by the memory of recent success. Rebuilding for Liverpool and a change in philosophy was essential for the turnaround to happen. Are United in that mindset yet?
We've appointed van Gaal. Obviously were ready for rebuilding otherwise we wouldn't have hired him.
 
We've appointed van Gaal. Obviously were ready for rebuilding otherwise we wouldn't have hired him.
Yet many fans talk of how this squad won the league only two years ago. I expect LvG knows what's needed but some fans are still seduced by the recent past, hailing the current squad beyond their capabilities. Or maybe that's just bravado.
 
You're right but Arsenal and Liverpool (particularly Liverpool) were not weighed down by the memory of recent success. Rebuilding for Liverpool and a change in philosophy was essential for the turnaround to happen. Are United in that mindset yet?

Good point. Ummm I'm pretty certain we haven't reached that stage yet TBH. There's still some reluctance within the fanbase when it comes to accepting the reality of our situation due to the romanticism of Sir Alex's tenure.

That said there are some promising signs of movement in the right direction within the club's infrastructure but still too early to judge. It's very much a work in progress IMO. There's been a monumental shift from Fergie's last title winning squad. 5 of our most important players of the last decade - Giggs, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Scholes are gone. Even that aside Carrick, Fletcher, possibly Van Persie won't be around for much longer I'd daresay.

So the shift in philosophy is already underway as we blood new "Van Gaal" model players who're be more malleable to his approach. It might not happen this season but I fully expect Louis to have his imprint on this squad come next season with possibly 5-6 new starters and hugely different philosophy when compared to the Moyes or even the Sir Alex era.

He needs some time though, right now it's difficult to quantify the shift in philosophy or lack thereof.
 
Yet many fans talk of how this squad won the league only two years ago. I expect LvG knows what's needed but some fans are still seduced by the recent past, hailing the current squad beyond their capabilities. Or maybe that's just bravado.

I agree, people need to first accept the deficiencies only then to work on what's needed. Much like moyes, a lot of people tend to have misguided belief and are blind to failings.
 
Good point. Ummm I'm pretty certain we haven't reached that stage yet TBH. There's still some reluctance within the fanbase when it comes to accepting the reality of our situation due to the romanticism of Sir Alex's tenure.

That said there are some promising signs of movement in the right direction within the club's infrastructure but still too early to judge. It's very much a work in progress IMO. There's been a monumental shift from Fergie's last title winning squad. 5 of our most important players of the last decade - Giggs, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Scholes are gone. Even that aside Carrick, Fletcher, possibly Van Persie won't be around for much longer I'd daresay.

So the shift in philosophy is already underway as we blood new "Van Gaal" model players who're be more malleable to his approach. It might not happen this season but I fully expect Louis to have his imprint on this squad come next season with possibly 5-6 new starters and hugely different philosophy when compared to the Moyes or even the Sir Alex era.

He needs some time though, right now it's difficult to quantify the shift in philosophy or lack thereof.
This is true. It also means patience beyond results is needed.
 
Yet many fans talk of how this squad won the league only two years ago. I expect LvG knows what's needed but some fans are still seduced by the recent past, hailing the current squad beyond their capabilities. Or maybe that's just bravado.
The squad still has great potential but also requires a lot of change. The fans didn't appoint LVG so the board who did obviously see the need and are prepared for change.
 
This is true. It also means patience beyond results is needed.

Yeah I'm sure Van Gaal will be granted the time and patience to mould the team in his image (even if we are tragically out of Europe come next summer). His situation is in stark contrast when compared to Moyes, who was undone partly by his lack of track record. And I'm fairly certain the owners will be less trigger happy this time around even in the face of failure. Because if we sack a high-pedigree manager like Van Gaal, who comes in to replace him ? All the top coaches are already tied to big clubs especially the trinity of Pep, Jose and Carlo. For better or for worse Louis is our ball and chain now. So we have no choice but to trust his expertise and be patient. :)
 


Manchester United never gave me time to succeed or fail...

I also went into the job thinking I want to do exactly what I did at Everton.

These two quotes sum up why Moyes failed at United for me perfectly, he doesn't consider taking over the champions and presiding over a nose down the table to 7th a failure because thats where he usually finished, thats the status quo for him. Had we came 4th he probably would have considered it a great success instead of the bare minimum expected. No doubt this mid table attitude filtered down to the players as well by the looks of some last season.

To also say he went into the job thinking he would do exactly what he did at everton confirms what many (myself included) think, he just totally underestimated the scale of the United job and probably doesn't have the ability to adapt his methods to suit the club and players he's managing. Also proves he was totally unsuited to manage a club of United's stature from the outset.

The badge on his blazer changed but in his head noting else did. I dread to think what would have became of United had he been given a few years in the job.

had dinner with a number of football writers in Miami during the week England spent there prior to the World Cup. Indeed he picked up the tab

Still sucking up to the press as well i see to ensure they don't give him a rough time if he ever gets another job in england.
 
I am worried about his not so subtle digs at Woodwards ability

He was sacked by him though.

He's starting his PR to try and get himself another job. Nothing wrong with that but he does talk some bollocks.

1. Says he wanted Ronaldo and Bale as if to imply that Woodward failed. If he thought there were realistic hopes of getting these players it shows how incredibly naive he is. Ronaldo was using us to get a fat new contract at Madrid and Bale always wanted to go to Madrid.

2. Says he tried to not to change too much since it was a "big job". Well except rip up a title winning coaching team and replace them with Evertons.

3. Says he wasn't given enough time to "succeed" or "fail". He failed. Period. He failed to meet any sort of reasonable expectation for the season which is why he had to go. Any other top side around Europe and he'd have been gone by Christmas. I reckon he could've been given another season even if he didn't finish in the top 4. All the club would've hoped for signs of improvement to justify giving him another year but the most galling thing was that the more time the players spent with him as manager the worse they got. This is why he had to go.


He mentions that he managed like he was managing at Everton. Saying that in hindsight he'd have managed differently. In one line that is the crux of the issue and over the season he showed no signs that he was willing to change. Hence he is gone.

The only thing I'll agree with was that the sacking wasn't handled nicely. However these things are never pretty.

Agree with this, although I think he actually seems unduly hurt by the manner of the sacking. It leaked to the press. It's impossible to know if that was deliberate or unfortunate (people seem to be obsessed with the idea of clubs 'briefing' journalists as if that is the only way information gets out. SAF's retirement leaked, maybe Moyes' sacking did too), but Woodward's response that he would only talk in person seems reasonable to me. You don't sack someone over the phone.