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Ferguson reveals anguish over Moyes’ United failures

MANCHESTER — Alex Ferguson has revealed his anguish at Manchester United’s fall from grace under David Moyes last season and admitted to being forced to hide his annoyance as the team endured Old Trafford humiliation against Liverpool.

Ferguson conceded that home defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City led to his keeping his emotions in check to avoid allowing his frustrations being caught on camera. Photo: Getty Images

Ferguson conceded that home defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City led to his keeping his emotions in check to avoid allowing his frustrations being caught on camera. Photo: Getty Images

MANCHESTER — Alex Ferguson has revealed his anguish at Manchester United’s fall from grace under David Moyes last season and admitted to being forced to hide his annoyance as the team endured Old Trafford humiliation against Liverpool.

The former United manager, who was speaking to MUTV, also backed Moyes’ successor Louis van Gaal to overcome the teething problems of his early months in charge following his appointment earlier this summer.

Having anointed Moyes his replacement as manager following his retirement in May last year, Ferguson has so far maintained a public silence on the events of last season and the team’s failure to perform under the former Everton manager.

However, Ferguson conceded that home defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City, when United endured successive 3-0 losses, led to him keeping his emotions in check to avoid allowing his frustrations being caught on camera.

“I didn’t enjoy that. I didn’t like losing to Liverpool and Manchester City last year, because they are your biggest rivals and the ones you always strive to defeat, particularly Liverpool, of course.

“The way I’ve always been and I did it as a manager, I’m actually quite stone-faced watching a game. I don’t try to show any emotion unless we score. I always celebrate a goal, and even now, as a director I still celebrate a goal, but you’re always conscious that maybe the cameras are on you, and this is happening quite a lot. Obviously, the press doesn’t miss an opportunity to focus on me during a game.”

While Moyes failed to overcome a difficult start at United, Ferguson is confident Van Gaal can enjoy success at Old Trafford, despite enduring surprise defeats and a catalogue of injuries this season.

Ferguson compared Van Gaal’s struggles to those he had experienced himself in his early days at United in the 1980s, but he believes the Dutchman has the experience to succeed in the job.

“He has not been getting the results that are expected, but when I came to the club, I didn’t get the results I had expected myself at the beginning,” Ferguson said. “What we needed then was Sir Bobby Charlton, Martin Edwards and the board to stick by me, and we had a great spell after that.

“Once I got settled into the club, everything was fine. Louis is going through that same process and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will sort it out,” he added. “It’s the rebuilding of the team and they have brought in some good quality. It was really important because you need quality at Manchester United, you need the best players.”

Ferguson is also delighted at the way Van Gaal has been blooding the United players of the future.

“What has pleased me about Louis is that he has given seven young kids their debuts this year, which falls into line with the history of our club, there’s no question about that. I think the supporters particularly respond very, very well when a young player gets his opportunity,” the 72-year-old said.

Van Gaal and Ferguson have met and spoken on several occasions since the summer, but Ferguson admitted that the new manager does not rely on him for advice or guidance.

“There’s no ongoing dialogue. He comes into my office sometimes after the game, into the lounge, and we have a chat. But it’s not a matter of picking up a phone or anything like that. He’s a very capable person with a strong mentality,” Ferguson said.

“He’s a strong leader. He knows where I am if he ever did need me, but there has not been any need for him to phone me. I’ve always got on well with Louis. The first occasion was when we played Barcelona in 1998 when we were in the group stages together.

“He was asking me how I dealt with the press and I said I’ve got a few interesting things to say about that! He has his own way. Watching his press conferences actually was quite interesting. He’s very, very honest in his press conferences, which is interesting.” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

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