5 Major Issues David Moyes Will Encounter at Manchester United

In case you hadn't heard, Sir Alex Ferguson retired recently.

The footballing world has furiously run with this story for the past week, and with no major tournaments this summer, David Moyes' introduction to the United fray will more than likely be one of the hot topics of the offseason.

And rightfully so.

This is a momentous time in the history of the modern game, with the man who has had a huge influence over the sport finally taking his bow out from the big stage.

It has always been apparent that the man chosen to replace Fergie would be walking into one of the hardest managerial roles in the history of the beautiful game.

David Moyes is a seasoned Premier League pro (having himself experienced a long and healthy 11-year stint at the helm of Everton FC), but the key question is whether or not that lengthy time at the top of English football will be enough preparation for the current task at hand?

I have no doubt that Moyes is a good enough manager to take charge of a Champions League side, but with all the hugely influencing factors revolving around Manchester United as a direct result of Sir Alex's retirement, David isn't likely to instantly win over his critics.

In time, yes, but the first few months of his tenure will be fraught with trials and tribulation.

Let's analyse some of the problems that United's new "big Scot" will face on his arrival at Old Trafford.  

Filling That Fergie-Shaped Hole

I think we should start off with an obvious point, and one I already touched upon.

Sir Alex Ferguson has built an empire around himself at Manchester United, which has never been seen before and will never be seen again in modern football.

In Ancient Rome (forgive me—I'll try to make this as brief and direct as possible!) when a popular Emperor died, their heir would almost always meet with ill repute from the populous. 

Filling the boots of a popular leader was such a daunting task that many failed to live up to the challenge, and they would find themselves assassinated within a matter of years .

This is exactly what David Moyes faces now as he begins his time with the English champions—well, not the "assassinated" bit, but you catch my drift. 

Sir Alex Ferguson has set up an ideal of how Manchester United should be run. There has been a familiar and warming pattern at the club for fans over the past quarter of a century, and with the arrival of a new face, that equilibrium is suddenly threatened. 

Moyes has to learn to tread the balance between stamping his own mark at the club and making sure not to overstep the boundaries put in place by his predecessor.

Finding that perfect balance is David's greatest challenge at United. 

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Wayne Rooney?

Wayne Rooney hasn't had the best of seasons in a United shirt.

That's not to say Wayne has been at all poor, with some terrific and match-winning outings coming at key parts of the year.

However, with the arrival of Robin van Persie in the summer, Rooney suddenly and inevitably found he was no longer the "top dog" at the club. The Dutchman stole the limelight from the man who has scored more goals than anybody else—197 in all competitions—under Fergie's reign.

Now it has become apparent that Rooney has, for the second time in his United career, handed in a transfer request to move away from the club.

If the pressure of replacing Fergie wasn't enough for Moyes, he now also faces the daunting task of either trying to convince one of their talisman players to stay at the club or—if he fails to do so—finding a suitable replacement.

One really has to pity David in this particular instance. The turmoil surrounding Rooney is the last thing that any manager wants to have to face in such an already challenging position.

However, whilst this is an issue right now, this particular dilemma—and how Moyes deals with it—may well earn him some respect in the eyes of the footballing world.

If Moyes can win Rooney round, or find a fantastic player to come in and fill the void that his departure would create, then he will be making an instantly positive mark on the club.

But these are all "ifs and buts" right now.

Loyalty of His Troops

"Stick by your new manager!"

Immortal words spoken by Sir Alex Ferguson during his heart-wrenching speech after United's 2-1 victory over Swansea City.

Whilst being primarily directed at the fans, his address to the United players was also a poignant reminder to them to honor the jersey they wear. It was a fantastic moment for fans of the game as it was possibly the first time that we were given an insight into how Fergie motivated and spoke to his warriors—ironically, it came in his final few weeks as a manager.

Part of that honor will be getting behind Moyes as he takes his first fledgling steps with the Red Devils.

When Brian Clough took over from Don Revie at Leeds United in 1974, he was undermined by the players who were loyal to the former regime. 

Admittedly, we are talking about a different scenario. Moyes and Ferguson are close friends and Fergie himself had a huge say in the acquisition of his replacement. 

Still, there will always be the risk that players who are used to one style of management will find it hard to acclimatize to a new approach.

Getting players like Robin van Persie, Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic on his side will be crucial if Moyes is to achieve success with the champions.  

Winning Is Everything

Don't let the title of this slide fool you—I'm not suggesting that Moyes will be shown the door if he goes a season without winning a trophy. Far from it.

However, the fact remains that Manchester United have become very accustomed to winning. It's a reality of truth that Moyes will have to take on board as he begins his journey with the club.

Having picked up no silverware in his time at Everton, some fans have their doubts over whether or not the man from Bearsden can do the job when it comes to the continued success United have achieved in the Barclays Premier League.

Of course, comparing a team on a shoe-string budget like Everton and Manchester United is incredibly unfair.

In fact, Moyes has taken Everton from a team struggling to survive in the English top flight to regular top-seven finishers in one of the most competitive leagues in the world.

In ratio, this (in theory) equates to a team of United's caliber maintaining their dominance over the English game. 

This is a long-term issue more than it is an instant one for the soon-to-be United manager.

If Moyes finds himself without any silverware after three or four years at the club, then he could be in some hot water. 

European Pulling Power

In truth, Sir Alex has never really made much of a habit of signing "big-name players" during his time with United. However, if he had wanted to, I'm confident Fergie's influence could have brought nigh on any player to the club.

Evidence of this came last summer with RVP's decision to join United ahead of Manchester City, who were champions at the time.

Whilst Moyes is a respected Premier League manager, this may have a huge impact on whether or not the Red Devils can lure in those young talents (I'm thinking James Rodriguez, Kevin Strootman, etc.) from across the seas with a relatively "unknown" coach like Moyes on the continent. 

This is another issue that can instantly be resolved, however, with rumors linking current Everton players Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines with a move from Moyes' current club to his new one.

With this pairing of established Premier League players—who are not subject to the aforementioned uncertainty of Moyes as a top coach—United can ensure that they only strengthen on the team that has romped away with the EPL title this season.

On top of this, if Moyes can bring in just one of United's summer youth transfer targets, he will have demonstrated that these fears are without reason. 

However, again, we are talking about hypothetical scenarios. Right now, David still has to prove his ability to bring in players ahead of other top European clubs.

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