ANALYSIS – David Moyes whose tenure as manager of Manchester United football club came to an end with two messages on twitter always had a difficult task – for one he had to follow in the footsteps of a great man and perhaps more importantly the side he inherited needed serious surgery.  The decision by the board at the club clearly shows that they could not trust the man chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson to make those tough decisions. United currently languish in seventh place out of reach of any Champions League football next season and the manner in which the side has played particularly against Liverpool and Manchester City as well as the last poor showing against Everton points to a manager unable to motivate an ageing side in the way José Mourinho has done at Chelsea.

The decision to fire Moyes has been endorsed by a rise in the share price.

That however does not address the central problem with this football club, that United have been in decline since their star player Cristiano Ronaldo abruptly left for Real Madrid. After that the club was held together for sheer force of will which meant that United were a fixture on the Champions League but no longer a force. And as long as they continued to prosper in the Barclays Premier League, there would be no complaints from the owners who could guarantee at least a third place to the shareholders. With the club languishing in seventh place and dull performances on the field the decision to fire their manager after just ten months is clearly a signal that the Glazer family have lost patience. Whether getting rid of the failing Scot will answer the clubs long term problems is however another matter.

For this is a club that is in decline and one that could have done with a man like Mourinho at the helm to steer it through those rough times. Instead, it made the decision to appoint a man with no experience of winning top level competitions and now finds itself nowhere.

Firing Moyes was easy – finding someone good enough to restore this club to the heights it once enjoyed is another matter though.