FOOTBALL these days is more than a game.
It is a business, and a cut-throat one at that. The latest high-profile casualty of that new reality is David Moyes, sacked yesterday as manager of Manchester United, 51 games into what many have described as mission impossible - following in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson, who had anointed his 50-year-old fellow Glaswegian as his successor.
Manchester United's owners, the US-based Glazer family, had previously intimated that they were prepared to play a long game, and that Moyes would be afforded the time to pursue the mammoth task of reconstructing a squad that had clearly been driven to the league title by the sheer will of his illustrious predecessor. The goalposts were moved, however, after the weekend defeat at the hands of Moyes's previous club, Everton, a result that confirmed that the Red Devils would not be competing in the Champions League next season ... with concomitant financial penalties.
Moyes is clearly a talented manager, as is shown by his record at Preston North End as well as at Everton. He may well now seek to rebuild his career overseas. The smart money would be on him reaching this goal.
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