Home » Javier Hernandez says David Moyes changed careers for the worse

Javier Hernandez says David Moyes changed careers for the worse

by Red Billy

Former Manchester United striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez says David Moyes was stubborn and not clever enough to manage the side.

In an interview with Rio Ferdinand in his Youtube series The Locker Room, Chicharito talked about the contrast between United under Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill and when Ed Woodward and David Moyes took over at the club.

Speaking about Sir Alex, Chicharito said:

‘Every time he’d do something, for example with myself at half time or after the game or whatever, in the next couple of days he’d want to make sure I hadn’t taken it personally.

‘I’m the manager, we can have drinks, we can hang out but in that part, every single time and he’s the only manager I know who does this, it’s a very important part of his character … [he would tell a player off when necessary].

‘I remember [in one match] he brought a player off, he shouted at him but not in a bad way, he answered in a way that was fair, but then the next day you see them chatting, it was incredible, he was very able to separate what is work and what is personal.’

But for the Mexican, things changed completely when Moyes took over as manager.

‘We didn’t ever have anything personal – Moyes and myself – but it was a mistake that they took him. It was a mistake.

‘It was the first mistake but it’s still haunting them now. Not because of him, not because he was a bad manager, but they thought they were going to replace the boss, Sir Alex, so quick. It’s impossible.

‘Not until now, in the world, even with Guardiola and Klopp and Mourinho, they are not on the same level as Sir Alex yet. They are on the way trying to get there, to be that kind of manager.

‘But that [Moyes appointment] changed careers that could have been better. Rafael, myself, Danny Welbeck, and a lot of players who needed to go away to play.’

Hernandez believes the problem was a lack of humility on the part of the former Everton boss.

‘They brought in David Moyes and I’m not going to question whether he was a good coach, a bad coach but I don’t understand how it is possible – what’s the word, how you can’t be – not humble – but, how you are not clever enough to maintain at least half of what you are succeeding, what the guy was doing before you, because he was the greatest of all time!

‘I even went to speak to Sir Alex because he knew I was down. He knew I was going to be sold, not loaned to Real Madrid, and we spoke about it and he told me the same things I was thinking: “this is Real Madrid, man…you can last for six months there, or last for a year … a Mexican guy.”

‘They had van Nistelrooy, Beckham, Cristiano, myself, Michael Owen. We all played for Manchester United and then Real Madrid. It was incredible. It’s still difficult to believe.’

The Mexican also revealed that Moyes and executive vice chairman Ed Woodward did not follow Sir Alex’s advice to play him more, or let him leave – and did neither.

‘I look at the way my last year went before I went to Real Madrid went with Moyes and I didn’t play that much and I even went to the World Cup and didn’t start because I wasn’t playing at Man United.

‘Look, I can accept being a substitute at Man United. Sir Alex told me that one of his regrets was not to play me more and he told me he was going to speak with Moyes to tell him I needed to play more.

‘He said I was an important figure for Man United, he told them he deserves more game time and if you can’t give him that, let him go, let him fly in a good way.

‘But in that moment Moyes and Woodward did not do either. They did not play me that much, I had an opportunity to go but they said they would play me and they did not let me go.

‘In the winter, I had another opportunity to go but they said no.

‘That’s why he only lasted seven months, because he was so stubborn, he didn’t have that adaptability. Please, where’s the humbleness? You need to grow into being United.’

United might have to finish their Premier League season at neutral grounds as the authorities try to ensure player safety. How much do you know about those neither-home-nor-away games the Red Devils have played in the past? Take our quiz below to find out.


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