Fergie: United Picked Moyes

Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed suggestions that he hand-picked David Moyes as his successor at Manchester United.

Moyes took charge of United in the summer of 2013 amid reports that he was personally chosen by Ferguson as the man to take over at Old Trafford.

But in excerpts of his updated autobiography, Ferguson denied such claims about the appointment of Moyes, who was sacked in April last year following a disastrous campaign.

"There appears to be an accepted view out there that there was no process. Nonsense," he writes.

"We feel we did everything the right way: quietly, thoroughly, professionally."

Ferguson felt there was mounting pressure on Moyes, which reminded him of his own struggles at United in the late 1980s before he enjoyed his successful reign in the next two decades.

"As the results deteriorated, each defeat was a hammer blow to him," Ferguson recalled.

"I could see that in his demeanour. In January we bought Juan Mata and that gave everyone a lift but I could see the walls squeezing in, leaving David with less and less room to breathe. I know that feeling from 1989, when we went through a terrible spell.

"You feel you are being crushed. The results gnawed away at David. Nobody could dispute how disappointing the season was. And it cost a man his job."

The 72-year-old also suggested that Moyes "had not realised just how big United is as a club" and believes the high tempo attacking style he encouraged had been discarded.

"The reason for playing at speed was that United players had been accustomed to operating that way," he wrote.

"If the tempo slowed for any reason, I would be into them at half-time. 'This is not us,' I would say. Playing with speed never hindered our results. It was our way: energy and determination in the last third of the pitch."

Ferguson also questioned Moyes' decision to clear out the backroom staff, including long-time assistant Mike Phelan.

"Maybe David felt that at such a massive club he had to be sure that all corners were covered in terms of his support system. I felt that network was already there, with plenty of great people already in important slots," he said.