Former Manchester United boss David Moyes says he sympathises with Louis van Gaal after the Dutchman watched his team slump to a shock defeat to Swansea at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal took charge of his first Premier League game this afternoon – and following a pre-season in which United won all six matches – optimism was high.
However, goals from Ki Sung-yeung and Gylfi Sigurdsson – either side of a Wayne Rooney equaliser – ensured a 2-1 defeat for United in their opening fixture of the new campaign.
Moyes, who van Gaal replaced as United boss after a torrid nine months in charge for the Scot, believes the Dutchman must be given the patience he was not afforded to turn around the club’s fortunes.
“Everybody knew it was going to take time,” said Moyes, who watched United’s defeat from the beIN Sports studio in Doha. “Taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson for anybody, it would take time.
“Louis van Gaal will need the time to do the job as well. He’ll need to have that opportunity to change things and get a team he wants.”
Moyes insists United’s recent woes are more down to the competitiveness of the Premier League than a perceived lack of quality in the current squad.
“What happened today (in defeat to Swansea) happened to me against West Brom, Newcastle, and Everton last year,” Moyes added. “Every team in the Premier League is very organised now and quite often it’s the special players that win you the games.”
