Van Gaal has the experience and ego to arrest decline

There are so many damning statistics regarding David Moyes’ tenure at Manchester United that it is difficult to know where to start.

You could begin with the fact that United are guaranteed to finish with their lowest points total in Premier League history, or that this is the worst title defence since Blackburn in 1995/96.

Or you could point out that while Alex Ferguson’s side failed to score at home in just five of his last 130 Premier League matches in charge, Moyes’ team have not hit the target in five of their last 15.

It could also be pointed out that 10 defeats is comfortably the club’s worst total in Premier League history, or that Juan Mata has won at Old Trafford more times as a Chelsea player than as a United one.

Another option is to point out that a year ago the club were 15 points clear at the top of the table, whereas now they are 18 points adrift of Chelsea.

Finally, you could point out that 10 stewards were required to protect the banner that was meant to lionise Moyes — ‘The Chosen One’ — after Tuesday’s supine 3-0 home defeat to arch-rivals Manchester City.

Yet somehow relating the statistics don’t convey quite how dispiriting the atmosphere around Old Trafford is at present, with City ruthlessly demonstrating that victories over Olympiacos and West Ham (wins that would have been considered regulation in any other season) were nothing other than a false dawn.

Moyes looks drawn and grey, and when the fans start to turn on Ferguson — as they did after the defeat at City — then you begin to realise quite how serious the situation is.

It must be said that Moyes is clearly a decent man, and a good manager. Being a fine manager for Everton does not necessarily mean you can make the grade with the biggest club in the country, though. His public utterances are being deconstructed and used as evidence against him, although it hardly takes a genius to work out that saying Manchester United ‘aspire to be like Manchester City’, shortly after admitting Liverpool were favourites heading to Old Trafford, was unwise.

In a way, those comments sum up his tenure to date; constantly fire-fighting, always on the back foot, never taking the initiative.

The exception that proves that rule is Wayne Rooney’s situation, which was resolved with a hugely generous contract offer. But when it comes to summer signings (or lack thereof), ideas of how to integrate Marouane Fellaini and then Juan Mata, or simply playing football in a manner the club have become accustomed to, Moyes has always seemed to be reacting to events rather than shaping them.

Getting rid of him at present would, in my view, be relatively pointless. There are rumours of the Class of 1992 (the Neville brothers, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes) attempting a coup, but this is clearly a job that needs a strong and experienced man at the tiller.

Chief among those would be Louis van Gaal. The Dutchman has won 19 major trophies in his career (including titles in Germany, Spain and Holland and the Champions League) while Moyes has claimed a solitary Second Division title with Preston.

Van Gaal is also desperate to work in England. He has been consistently linked with Tottenham, but I understand he would prefer the United job. He offers experience, a proven track record and — crucially — an ego that means he will relish the prospect of hauling the club out from under Ferguson’s shadow.

Sadly, things seem to be getting worse under Moyes. In his first 29 games the Scot had a win percentage of 62%, but in his last 17 it has been just 41%. The fans have turned and neither results nor performances are anywhere near satisfactory.

It is unfortunate, but whoever succeeded Ferguson was always running the risk of being a fall-guy. Maybe the Glazers need to accept Moyes is that stooge and bring in Van Gaal to arrest an astonishingly swift descent into mediocrity.