Moyes lays out grand plan

Manchester United coach David Moyes has warned fans that it could take up to two years to develop a side in his own image at Old Trafford.

The Scot, who has negotiated a tricky start to his United career, expects to find some people at the club resistant to his changes.

He has admitted that he has already called upon the advice of Alex Ferguson half a dozen times but won’t be using his predecessor to help him secure transfer targets in the last week of the window.

“Normally, a new manager never inherits a team that is as good (as Manchester United),” Moyes said. “Typically, you inherit the job because your predecessor was sacked, because the team has not had the desired results. Here it is different. I take over from a manager who has succeeded. But United is a club that has always had to evolve, grow, and that will encourage me during the next 18 months or two years. No doubt there will be many changes.

“But the previous coach left incredible things in place. The most important is the mentality, the mentality of winning. ‘We won the title? Okay. Win the next one.’ This is something that is difficult to express in words, but when you are immersed in it you feel it, you see it. The players have this spirit of competition. Their attitude made me think: ‘I can see the difference.’ I can feel it more.

“But it will take me perhaps 18 months or two years to change things (as I wish). How long did it take Alex to make changes the way he wanted? What is great is that I will have the opportunity to do this at Manchester United. I would not have been given this at other clubs.”

Moyes, speaking to the latest edition of France Football magazine, expects pressure to come his way if results don’t follow, but knowing he has the support of his owners is a great bonus for him.

“The purpose of this job is victory, so if you don’t win a match, people start to ask questions... I am sure they will. But I have owners who will shrug their shoulders and move on to something else.”

Moyes has not had an easy start to his Old Trafford career, inheriting uncertainty surrounding the future of Wayne Rooney, and a fixture-list that led to him calling a conspiracy. Already he has spoken to Ferguson six times on matters surrounding the club: “I went to see him the other day, while recovering from his hip surgery, and he was terrific. I can call for his advice whenever it suits,” he said. “I’ve talked to him a half-dozen times. It will be hard, very hard, for anyone to approach (what he accomplished). But I worked hard to get to this position, at Preston and Everton. And I’ll work hard for Manchester United to remain at the top of the Premier League.

“I don’t go see him to ask advice, but rather I will say: ‘This is what we’re doing, what do you think will happen?’ He is someone who will be part of the fabric here. The day he told me that I had a job, after 10 minutes we were already talking about the team, what to do, what would be expected of me. He told me things straight.

“I do not think we should be using him for that (to help in the transfer market). This club has the means to attract the best players, and if I needed to call on Sir Alex, he would be more than happy.

“The club must continue to move forward, progress. Changes are sometimes essential. I think I’m ready for this task. I worked a long time to find myself in a position where, perhaps, I have the chance to have one of the most important jobs in this country. But it does not make me scared.”