Boss Relishing OT Life

David Moyes spoke exclusively to MUTV’s Mandy Henry earlier this month to reflect on his time at the club so far. The interview was first screened on MUTV on Boxing Day and you can see it again on the club channel at regular intervals this week. Below is an extract from the interview…

Let’s go back to the start when you were told you had the Manchester United job by Sir Alex – and it was a case of being told wasn’t it?
Yes it was and it will always be a story I’ll enjoy telling! I wasn’t expecting it – I thought I was either going to get a rollicking off him or he wanted one of my players. When he first said to me, 'I’m retiring', I said, ‘Well yes, in a year or two’. Then he said, ‘No, next week and you’re the next manager.’ I don’t know what was the bigger shock – hearing Sir Alex was retiring or that I was the next manager? There was no, ‘Do you fancy it, what do you think?’. It was a case of, ‘You’ve got it [the job]'.

People say it must be hard to still have Sir Alex around but you’ve said you feel he’s here to support you, not pressure you…
Yes, exactly. I feel the opposite [to what people have said]. I see him as regularly as I want to see him at the games or I’ll pick up the phone or he’ll phone me. Overall, I’ve found him really helpful. I can’t think of any manager who wouldn’t want to use Sir Alex as a sounding board. He’s been very good to me. He hasn’t interfered with anything and he knows how it works here. More importantly, he’s a director of the football club and someone who has a big say in how things will go at Manchester United in the future. We should use the knowledge that he’s got.

From day one the players have been behind you but have you been surprised by any of them?
Many of them. When I first got the job I made the point of meeting as many of the senior players as I could. I flew to Serbia to see Vida [Nemanja Vidic], I met with Rio [Ferdinand], met up with Wayne [Rooney] and Giggsy [Ryan Giggs]. And I must say since I arrived they’ve all been great and a really big help. They understand the responsibility they have and how lucky they are to play for a club like Manchester United. I would also have to say Patrice Evra has been fantastic in and around the club in terms of how he goes about motivating and keeping the players ready and telling them about the standards they have to set at this club.

Obviously you want to continue the success that the club has had, but at the same time put your own stamp on things…
Yes and that is going to take some time. I can’t do it right away. I think if I’d have come in and changed things right away people would have said, ‘Why would you change around all the stuff Sir Alex has done?’ It’s a gradual thing and it’s about continuing down the road we’re going. Obviously players come and go, that’s football, but it will take a little bit of time [to settle in] and I think most people understand that.

How much are you enjoying the challenge?
It’s difficult to explain exactly what I think about this club and how big it is, but the challenge is something I’m looking forward to and turning things around. The big thing is to get an exciting young team out on the pitch that everyone at Manchester United can be proud of.