EPL: Moyes - a scapegoat - Gary Neville

Manchester Utd's players must take
responsibility for David Moyes losing his job,
says Gary Neville.
The Scotsman was sacked on Tuesday
morning, 11 months after taking over from Sir
Alex Ferguson, following a campaign which
has seen last year's Premier League
champions slump to seventh in the table and
miss out on qualifying for Champions League
football for the first time in almost two
decades.
The club are guaranteed their lowest points
total in the Premier League era and, while
former United defender Neville says their
displays have not been good enough, he
insists Moyes' players deserve criticism as
well as the manager.
"The players have to take massive
responsibility," he told Sky Sports News .
"They're the ones out on the football pitch. I
never once during my 17, 18 year career at
United turned around after a game and thought
'you lost us that game, boss'. It's always the
players.
"Players have to take responsibility and
accountability in football but the fact of the
matter is you don't go and sack 24 players.
"Those players are not as bad as they've been
showing. They've got great care for United,
they love the club - the ones I know - they're
desperate to do well for the club but they've
completely lost confidence and belief. That's
ultimately what's cost David Moyes.
"These were players that were champions nine
months ago and the decline has been
surprising to say the least. To go from first to
third or fourth may be acceptable in a
transition season but to go to seventh...
"And I have to say watching them at Goodison
Park on Sunday and against Liverpool three
weeks ago, they were just absolutely flat, there
was nothing in them. And to me that's the last
thing that can happen as a United player.
"They have to take responsibility but
ultimately the manager always takes
responsibility because he's the one that's
seen to have to drag a performance out of the
players."
Sky Sports pundit Neville says he is frustrated
to see Moyes sacked so early into his six-
year contract with United and insists stability
rather than quick-fire managerial changes is
the key to success.
He also believes, while the likes of Ferguson
were given time during the start of their Old
Trafford tenures in the past, the modern-day
culture is disrespectful to talented managers.
"I believe in managers being given time," he
said. "I think they should be allowed to
complete their work.
"The idea of giving people three and four and
six-year contracts and then getting rid of them
after 10 months is something that's foreign to
me.
"However, there's no disguising that the
football this season has been poor and the
results have been poor.
"As a fan I've not enjoyed watching it. I'm
sure David Moyes himself hasn't enjoyed
watching it and I can't think of many Man
United fans who would have enjoyed watching
it, either.
"The performances have got worse and worse.
There was a little pick-me-up before
Christmas when you thought there might be a
little bit of a run but in the last month or two
the performances have deteriorated.
Olympiakos, Liverpool and Everton were
particularly low points.
"I suppose it's a different world than it was in
the 1980's, when Dave Sexton, Ron Atkinson
and Sir Alex Ferguson were given time during
their difficult moments. That's not going to
happen any more.
"It's something I don't like about the modern
game, the fact managers get sacked every 12
months. It doesn't matter whether it's my club,
which is Manchester United, or any other club.
And I'll continue to defend that position
because my full belief there's a lack of
decency in the way football managers get
dealt with.
"They're so much in the firing line. I accept
it's a pressurised job and they get well paid
for it but there's a way of decency of dealing
with people. Football managers now just get
tossed around, chucked about, disregarded,
rubbished - decent men, good men seem to
get thrown away.
"That's not just David Moyes that's all
through football. They're always the
scapegoats."
Dwight Yorke is backing Ryan Giggs to take
over full-time at Old Trafford despite the
claims of a host of big names from across
Europe.
Louis van Gaal and Jurgen Klopp have been
strongly linked as the next permanent
manager - but Yorke believes the answer
could lie within Old Trafford.
"I would have given Ryan Giggs the job last
summer because there would have been a
continuation there," Yorke told Sky Sports
News.
"He has been at the club for over 20 years,
he's a true Red and of course he's doing he's
doing his Pro licence. Yes, people always
question whether he has got the experience
but Sir Alex would have been there to guide
him and he would have been able to keep the
backroom staff. That's my opinion.
"I don't see why he can't have the job full-
time. People say they need someone with
great experience at the top level, but we are
talking about continuity. There is never going
to be another Alex Ferguson. What we have
got is a young man with no managerial
experience - but we thought David Moyes had
that experience but it has not worked out for
him at United.
"For the four remaining games of the season I
think we will see United playing the United
way, with more togetherness and more flair.
Given the chance I feel Ryan Giggs might be
the right kind of name for the future."