Manchester United hauled themselves back from the brink of crisis against Swansea – thanks to another helping of Fergie Time, writes Steve Bates in the Sunday People.
Former boss Sir Alex Ferguson held crisis talks with under-fire boss David Moyes after last week’s Old Trafford defeat by the Swans.
And in the very next league game, against the same team that wrecked their FA Cup dreams a week ago, the champions gave a far more assured display – even without the injured Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie – to win 2-0.
Fergie, who led the Reds to an 11-point title triumph last season, spent an hour in Moyes’s Old Trafford office last week in an unscheduled emergency summit.
He told Moyes - the man he chose as his successor - that his job was NOT under threat; that he had the full support of the Glazer family; and that money will be made available in summer to beef up an ailing squad.
Insiders say it’s not the first time that Fergie, shown mostly these days sitting with a frown in the Old Trafford stands, has met Moyes to offer reassuring words.
The United legend travelled to Wearside in midweek for the 2-1 defeat at Sunderland in the Capital One Cup and spoke to the beleaguered boss once more.
Moyes has argued repeatedly that the brooding presence of Ferguson at both home and away matches has not placed extra pressure on him – but Fergie’s face is the first the TV cameras search for whenever United concede a goal.
Ferguson, who retired in May after 26 years in the hot-seat, had been present at United’s previous three games, but missed their revenge over Swansea after jetting off to Barbados on a family holiday.
Second-half goals from Danny Welbeck and Antonio Valencia handed United only their fifth home win of the Premier League season.
A relieved Moyes said: “We limited them to few opportunities – I can hardly remember them having a chance – and got what we deserved. I said at half-time that we needed to work much harder and make more chances and the players went about their job very well.”
Ferguson’s continued presence in the stands while United toiled has been a hot topic this term but his old Arsenal sparring partner Arsene Wenger claims it should have no effect on Moyes.
“It is not the presence of someone in the stands that loses you games,” said Wenger. “The problem now is because United have not won every time, the cameras go on him.”
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