David Moyes Comments on Louis Van Gaal's Future as Manchester United Manager

Former Manchester United manager David Moyes has encouraged the club to give his successor, Louis van Gaal, more time to turn things around at Old Trafford.

Moyes was dismissed toward the end of his first season in charge of the club in 2013-14, with the Dutchman taking over the following summer. After a decent first campaign, results have taken a turn for the worse for Van Gaal in recent weeks, with United without a win in their last eight games.

Nevertheless, speaking on BT Sport's Clare Balding Show, Moyes feels as though Van Gaal warrants some more patience from the United hierarchy:

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I hope they stick with Louis van Gaal, he deserves more time. It’s still a work in progress for him, he’s made some signings. From my experience in Spain it’ll take time for players from abroad to settle in. So I think they should stick with it. They don’t want to become a club which continually changes their manager.

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Van Gaal does seem to be edging perilously close to the point of no return. The style of football served up at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign was tolerable when the team was picking up wins, but in this spell of horrendous results, momentum has been added to the swell of fans who want to see the Dutchman gone.

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However, as noted by Squawka’s Greg Johnson, the Dutchman does retain some support from United fans despite the recent slump:

Van Gaal has definitely done some good things at United. There are talented young players in the squad, a lot of the deadwood has been moved on, while players such as Chris Smalling and David De Gea have made excellent progress under his watch.

But the facts paint a picture of a manager who is underachieving. Van Gaal has spent a lot of money on this squad, has brought in high-profile players as well as some of the best youngsters on the continent and is still struggling for a winning formula.

In a Premier League season that is wide open, it’s an opportunity missed for a group capable of mounting a title challenge.

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As Squawka Football noted ahead of United’s clash with Chelsea, despite not being afforded the same luxuries in the transfer window, Moyes fares pretty well in comparison to Van Gaal:

Of course, all situations are different and there are few United fans who will disagree with the fact that Van Gaal has done a better job than Moyes.

The Scot’s claim that the Red Devils need to stand by their manager is also a valid one, especially when you consider the dynasty built by Sir Alex Ferguson during his tenure at Old Trafford.

The exciting attacking players Van Gaal has at his disposal have been shackled, and in losses to Bournemouth, Norwich City and Stoke City, there’s been evidence of a team simply going through the motions. That cannot be allowed to continue for much longer.