It has been reported that the Glazer family approved the sacking of David Moyes after the Champions League defeat to Olympiacos on 25 February, but the club delayed the dismissal until it became known whether the club would be in the same competition next season. It appears that they have been carefully weighing up potential replacements since then.
Defeat to Everton on Sunday, United's eleventh league loss of the season, made Champions League qualification a mathematical impossibility which meant that because of missed targets United would be contractually obliged to pay Moyes just a one-year payoff, instead of the four remaining years on his contract.
Ryan Giggs looks likely to succeed the Scot on a caretaker basis, with Nicky Butt as his assistant. Jürgen Klopp and Louis van Gaal remain the favourites to take over permanently. The Mirror are reporting today that Dutchman van Gaal is set to enter talks with the Old Trafford hierarchy this week, while Klopp would be prepared to do likewise despite his secure employment in Dortmund and an upcoming vacancy at Camp Nou, although at the moment he is ruling himself out.
A lack of confidence in an unsuccessful manager to do good pre-World Cup business with a potential £150 million transfer budget - with Toni Kroos and Southampton's Luke Shaw potential targets - seem to have accelerated Moyes' demise and prevented him from making a more dignified exit in mid-May.
hat-tip: Irish Independent
