Does David Moyes Need to Overhaul Manchester United's Scouting System?

David Moyes has learned the hard way that failure isn't an option at Manchester United.

That doesn't just mean on the pitch, but off it too. And even if United had won their three Premier League games this season, Moyes would still have been criticised for overseeing a shambolic first transfer window.

But who's to blame for the mistakes? 

Both Moyes and new chief executive Ed Woodward have come under fire for their roles.

Moyes has been through the process before. But as United manager he's shopping in a different market with a different budget than he was at Everton.

The players he's looking to sign now weren't even on his radar at Goodison Park.

Woodward is a different case. He's used to dealing with commercial partners to make money, not give it to clubs who don't want to lose their best players. 

The bottom line, literally, says that United paid £27.5m on deadline day for a player they could have signed for £23.5m on July 31. That's a failure in anyone's book.

But what of United's scouting system, the men employed to find the players? 

The network, headed by chief scout Jim Lawlor, has had both successes and failures.

Sir Alex Ferguson had David De Gea watched for almost a year before bringing him to Old Trafford as Edwin van der Sar's replacement. He didn't come cheap at £17.8m, but he would have cost much more had they tried to sign him at 26 rather than 20.

Then there's Cristiano Ronaldo, who was snapped for £12.75m as a teenager and sold for a world-record fee six years later. 

But there have been mistakes, too. 

Michael Carrick joined Tottenham from West Ham for £3.5m in 2004 then joined United two years later for £18.6m. Spurs spent some of that money on Dimitar Berbatov, who was signed for £10.9m from Bayer Leverkusen. Two years later, he signed for United for a club-record £30.75m. 

It's economics that would make Billy Beane have a fit. 

Moyes has taken on a huge job at Old Trafford, bigger than even he might have anticipated. And it's understandable if reviewing the scouting network is down low on his list. 

But when he does finally get the time to take a look, he would do well to adopt the same approach he did with his coaching staff. 

He let some very good coaches go this summer in order to appoint his own. He did it not because Rene Meulensteen, Mike Phelan and Eric Steele aren't good coaches, but because he knows and trusts Jimmy Lumsden, Steve Round and Chris Woods.

The same applies to the scouting system.

They helped Sir Alex to be successful at Old Trafford because he trusted them, and trusted their opinions of players.

Like Fergie, Moyes must surround himself with people he trusts, too.