If you simply read posts on social media, you’d believe a majority of Manchester United fans want David Moyes sacked. But when you interact with thoughtful long-term supporters of the club, you realize the sentiments on the Internet do not represent the ethos of the club or its long-term supporters.

David Moyes will be given more time. And after all, he deserves it. Sir Alex Ferguson did not win a trophy until year four when the Red Devils needed an FA Cup Final replay to defeat plucky upstart Crystal Palace.

Some critics point to where United was in 1986 as opposed to where they were in 2013. This is a fair argument as Moyes did inherit a title winning side. But Robin van Persie, for years unreliable when with Arsenal, has been sidelined regularly again. While Nemanja Vidić has generally been more fit this season than in the past two years, he has still missed some critical matches where Moyes side has dropped points. Unlike last season, Chelsea and Manchester City have settled management situations while Liverpool has improved. Thus, Moyes faces a considerably more difficult Premier League than Ferguson did last season.

David Moyes has proven to be a successful manager of the highest caliber while at Everton. Regularly he was able to take his side, limited by budget and depth, into the top half of the Premier League. While some fans complained about the style of soccer the Toffees played, most appreciated the resourcefulness of the manager and his tactical savvy.

It is certainly true that Moyes has never had to make the types of dealings in the transfer market that Manchester United now requires. Often times working on a tight budget at Everton, he looked for and located several transfer bargains. For example, Kevin Mirallas was bought in the summer of 2012 by Everton for just £6,000,000. Little doubt exists that a player of Mirallas’s quality would help the Red Devils on the wing today.

So perhaps Moyes’s solution is to look for the types of bargains that characterized his time at Everton. Irrespective of speculation to the contrary, Manchester United remains an attractive destination for footballers on the continent looking to make a name for themselves. Should Manchester United Vice-Chairman Ed Woodward be directed to buy the way Moyes previously did at Everton, United could find some good deals particularly this summer.

Moyes has no doubt had an unsatisfactory start as manager. But Manchester United is a club with a true ethos even if the newer fans they have attracted worldwide through recent years want the managers’ scalp. He deserves time and deference. Perhaps a Capital One Cup trophy can ease the angst of supporters at least temporarily while the side is overhauled and settled.

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