DAVID MOYES interview: I used to just want to get out of Old Trafford alive... but this is my team now, I'm in charge

He is less than a month into his tenure as Manchester United manager and already David Moyes is beginning to understand what it means to be in charge of the world’s most famous football club.

Having spent the last 13 days in Thailand, Australia and now Japan, Moyes has already found himself having to handle the ongoing issue surrounding Wayne Rooney while trying to land the first major transfer of his reign, Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas.

Here, in his first detailed interview with daily newspapers, Moyes takes time out to talk about the pressures of succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson, dealing with the club’s superstars players and how badly he wants to bring United their first trophy of his era.

David, the start to your Barclays Premier League season is not easy. How are you feeling about that?

It could map out our whole season, which is why we are trying to get ourselves right for the opening games. We have to play some of the better teams at the early stages, so we have to make sure we are in good form, but the same applies to them.

Do you have butterflies in your stomach?

Yeah, that comes with the excitement of the job, but it’s more to do with the magnitude of Manchester United and following arguably the greatest manager that football has ever known. You can’t see any manager thinking that would be an easy job, but in the same breath it is a great one because of what I have available and what Sir Alex has left.

I'm in charge: David Moyes (centre) gives his squad a rollicking in Bangkok at the weekend

My team: Moyes talks to his Manchester United players

At ease: David Moyes looks happy and relaxed in Tokyo and (below) tells his new Manchester United players what he expects of them

David Moyes adresses his squad

Maybe if I'm at United for 26 years, we'll end up having 'Moyesy time'

How long before it is ‘your’ team? Is it automatic or does it take six months or maybe a season?

It is my team now. I have taken over, I’m in charge. As I have said, I will use the ex-manager as much as I can because of his knowledge, but it is my team now and I have to take responsibility for that.

Sir Alex said to the supporters after his last home game that it was important to get behind the new manager. How important was that?

I have got to say it showed unbelievable class. Change can be difficult for people but importantly he gave me the confidence and hopefully from that the supporters will give me the opportunity to get started. It was good for the players, too.

Will it be a defining moment when people stop asking you about Sir Alex? Will that be a sign you’ve moved on?

Yes, in a way. I don’t want to mention Sir Alex in every conversation I have but in the same breath I would hate to think in any way that I was disrespecting someone of his level. But I will always respect him, as will Manchester United.

Making his point: David Moyes is settling in as manager of Manchester United

Running the show: But can you spot Moyes among the players and staff

There has to come a time when Manchester United is primarily associated with David Moyes, though, doesn’t there?

Yes, it has to be a new era. Whatever we say, my job now is to make my history. I’m going to follow someone who has made incredible history. I think about Matt Busby’s history and then Alex Ferguson’s history - they could do a film about it. I have to make sure now that my history and my time is something which the fans and people in the future talk about.

So it’s about toeing that line between being respectful and saying this is my time?

Yes it is. It is difficult but I think Sir Alex knows that we’re here to follow good managers. But the one thing about it is he left me with the best team in England and essentially said: ‘Go on, take it on, build on it and try and make it better’.

Does it make the job easier in sense that there have been major changes at rivals too?

They’re new managers coming into new clubs so things can change. I think the Premier League is going to be a little bit more unpredictable than it’s been in the past. I just hope the predictability about it is that Manchester United are beating everybody you expect them to beat.

How does it feel for you now that everyone wants to beat Manchester United?

It’s going to be new to me and something I’m going to have to come to terms with. But I feel comfortable in my position, I feel as if I can be in the job. I’m not saying it’s all going to be right because I don’t think (there) is any manager who always gets it right. But I do feel that I’m in a position I think I can deal with.

A new era: David Moyes gives instruction to star striker Robin van Persie

It'll be no different at Manchester United to how it was at Preston

Do you have to change your mind-set to address these kind of players? Players like Ryan Giggs etc...

A little bit because I’m looking at players who have been in an incredibly successful team over the years. I’ve got to make sure I learn from them. I don’t know it all.

Do you sense that they are judging you?

I think every footballer who I’ve worked with judged the manager. They want to see if he can earn his stripes, they want to see if they can coach, if they can make decisions.

Do you actually manage more or less than you used to?

Maybe a little bit less in many ways. I don’t need to shout as much any more, I’m not quite as intense as I was. But I actually think it’s because the level of player, the level of the standard, steps up and I’m feeling that here as well. There’s been a couple of things I’ve had to say here so far to correct things and the response is, like: ‘Yeah, OK, we’re on with that, we’ve got it done.’ That’s great.

You were 34 and were still playing at centre half when you took over at Preston 16 years ago. Was that as big a challenge as this in some ways?

I’ve got to say I didn’t win many games at the start when I took over at Preston. But when I got the job I just worked and I tried to prepare the teams and it’s the winning which gets you a chance to be involved in the next game. Then win another game and that maybe gets you another month and if you keep going you might actually get a chance of being around the top. So it’ll be no different at Manchester United.

Man in charge: Moyes put his player through their paces in Japan

Why have you recruited Ryan and Phil Neville?

You know that I did want to keep Rene Meulensteen and I wanted Paul Scholes. Paul Scholes, in time when he’s ready to come back, there will be a position for. I wanted to have something which was really involved with Manchester United.

But I also needed it to be David Moyes’s era now so that meant me taking some of my own people. I couldn’t do it without the help of Ryan Giggs while Phil Neville had known a little bit at both clubs. But more importantly he probably knew how I worked at Everton. Phil and Ryan are young so it’s really important in this job that you also keep young open-minded thoughts around you because you don’t want to get too old in your ways.

You have a reputation for driving players hard in training and placing an emphasis on physical fitness. Will that be the same here?

I think I’m going to drive, and I’m going to demand, the best out of players. I’m going to demand that they give me more, or as much as I can get from them.

You have been doing double sessions out here. That’s more than they are used to.

Yeah but I think if you asked them I think they would all say that’s good. They’ve enjoyed it. It’s nothing that I can’t do and that’s the way I judge it really. It’s nothing I couldn’t do.

Listen to me: Danny Welbeck is given guidance by his new manager

If we win the Community Shield, that'll be one of Sir Alex's trophies

Do you sense that the players have been invigorated by your arrival?

I think sometimes when there is a change - and I heard some of the players saying it - you have to impress the new manager. You’ve got a chance...I have got to say I have been incredibly impressed about how the players have gone about their work, I really have.

There’s not been a day when I’ve had people ‘throwing out’ [slacking off]. I think, if anything, they’re enjoying it and they’re asking for more in a way. And to go back to an earlier question, they could be testing me, to see if I’ve got the materials to do the job, because that’s what top footballers do.

Pictures emerged of you rollicking the players in training in Thailand. What was that about?

I just wanted them to make sure they kept doing things right and there were a couple of things I wanted them to make sure they were on top of.

Does it matter to you when you win your first trophy? Does it matter which one it is?

It matters because it’s important I do that and get it put to bed. And it does matter what trophy it is because, if I’d won the Singha Cup in Bangkok it would have been very good, but you know it wouldn’t have counted.

Do you count the Community Shield, like some managers do?

I would have thought that’s a trophy that, if Manchester United went on to win, that would be one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s, because he got the team there. I’m actually hoping to look at the other trophies, that’s my target.

A new generation: Moyes is excited to be taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson

Fergie's time is over: Sir Alex Ferguson waves goodbye at the end of his 26 years at Manchester United

Describe what it was like to bring a team to Old Trafford to play? And how you would like it to be for other managers to bring teams to play you there now...

You came to somewhere that was always full and you knew you were playing, certainly the biggest club in England and arguably the biggest club in the world. So from that point of view you knew that it was also a daunting challenge. Anybody who went there it was like: ‘Oh no, we’re going to Manchester United’.

What were the last 10 minutes there like as an opposing boss? You want that to continue under you?

I want it to continue that way. I remember going there as a manager. You want to get out of Old Trafford alive, that used to be our saying, you know.

You clearly need that fear factor to continue...

We do. I think the players do that, the crowd, the stadium.

We have had ‘Fergie time’ at the end of games for years. Will we get ‘Moyesy time’ now?

Maybe if I’m at Manchester United for 26 years I’ll be able to control it as much as Sir Alex! But at the moment I still see myself as one of the young coaches and young managers in the Premier League. I don’t see myself as one of the old ones. So I think I’ve got a few more years before I get that level of control.

New staff: Moyes (right), with goalkeeping coach Chris Woods (left), first-team coach Phil Neville (second left) and assistant manager Steve Round in Sydney

Hired help: Phil Neville (left) and Ryan Giggs are both part of Moyes's coaching set-up

Being manager of Manchester United has to come with an element of fear

What’s the one thing someone said to you since taking the job, that’s stuck with you?

Someone said: 'You’ll do it easy'. But I’m not saying who it was. I don’t take that as a given, because I know it’s going to be really hard at Manchester United. I know that.

Do you want to carve your own dynasty as a Scottish Man United boss after Busby, Ferguson etc?

I’d really like that. I think there has been a succession of Scottish managers - Bill Shankly, Jock Stein, Sir Matt, George Graham - you could go on and on, I’ve probably missed a few out. There have been some really good Scottish managers at the highest level, so if I could in some way be tagged on to the end of that list, because I’d been successful at Manchester United, then I’d be delighted.

Is there extra pressure because of that great lineage of Scottish managers?

Not pressure but I think they’re actually saying: ‘We’re passing the baton on to you, it’s for you take the baton up and be successful’. I think that’s the way it’s been.

Despite the backing of Sir Alex, is there any element of fear of failure?

There’s not that, but I tell you, there’s not one person who would turn around and say: ‘Taking over Manchester United, you think you can walk in there and breeze in and think you can do it easily’. Of course not. There has to be an element of fear that comes with managing a club like Manchester United. It keeps you working, it keeps you focused and helps you try not to take your eye off the ball.

Star attraction: Moyes was upstaged in his press conference in Yokohama by Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa

Have you looked back through the history of the club in detail?

I will need to get the history books on Manchester United because I wouldn’t be the first person to be able to turn around and tell you every cup final or every game we’ve been involved in or all the players. I couldn’t do that.

But I want to try to get myself as knowledgeable as I can. Looking at the history of the club, of what’s happened, the players, it’s incredible. So I’m really looking forward to getting myself up to speed with that. But hopefully 26 years might give me the chance to get up to speed.

Farizol Mansur

Monday, July 22, 2013