David Moyes will be sacked by Manchester United in the coming weeks and could even go before the end of the day.
United’s owners the Glazer family have finally lost patience with Moyes after a dismal season that has seen the reigning Barclays Premier League champions slump to seventh in the table.
The final straw was Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Everton, their 11th in the Barclays Premier League this season, and a result that left the title holders down 13 points off the Champions League places.
End of the line: David Moyes will be sacked by Manchester United and could leave before the end of the season
Under pressure: United crashed to a 2-0 defeat at Moyes's former club Everton on Sunday, their 11th defeat of the Premier League season
Searching for inspiration: Moyes has found it impossible to maintain the high standards set by predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson
Bright beginnings: Moyes started work at Old Trafford on July 1 last summer, having been announced as Ferguson's replacement in May
DAVID MOYES AT UNITED
Played 51
Won 27
Drawn 9
Lost 15
Win percentage 52.94
The Glazers and United chief executive Ed Woodward were determined to show patience with Moyes but have recognised inescapable signs recently that performances were getting worse and that players had stopped trying for their manager.
It is understood that the plan now is to sack Moyes at the end of the season but the situation could now come to a head later on Monday or in the coming days. If the former Everton boss is sacked before the season’s end, club legend Ryan Giggs will be asked to take over team affairs.
In terms of appointing a long-term successor, Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, Holland’s Louis van Gaal and Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti are in the frame.
Meet the new boss: Moyes gets to work on his first morning as United manager at the club's Carrington training complex
Backing: Supporters on the Stretford End commissioned a banner proclaiming Moyes as the 'Chosen One'
Good start: Moyes lifts the Community Shield after United beat Wigan 2-0 at Wembley back in August. It will be his only piece of silverware with the club
Winning start: United won 4-1 at Swansea City on the opening day of the season, getting their title defence off to the perfect start
Warm reception: Moyes is introduced to the Old Trafford crowd prior to his first home game against Chelsea
THE REMAINING MATCHES
April 26 Norwich City (H)
May 3 Sunderland (H)
May 6 Hull City (H)
May 11 Southampton (A)
Despite the expensive signings of Marouane Fellaini last summer and Juan Mata in January, United have failed to keep pace with their rivals and mount any kind of title challenge.
Moyes, who moved from Everton last summer to replace Sir Alex Ferguson, has also overseen failure in the cup competitions.
United were eliminated by Swansea City in the third round of the FA Cup, by Sunderland in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup and by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Taking all competitions into account, United have won 27 of 51 matches during the Moyes tenure, drawing nine and losing 15.
Taste of defeat: Moyes suffered his first league loss at Anfield as a Daniel Sturridge gave Liverpool a 1-0 win on September 1
Down to work: Moyes leads a training session at Carrington ahead of his first Champions League match with United back in September
Euro stars: United beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 at Old Trafford in their opening Champions League fixture of the season
Nightmare: The scale of Moyes's task at Old Trafford became apparent in the 4-1 defeat at rivals Manchester City on September 24
Bad to worse: Moyes can't believe his misfortune as United are beaten at home by West Bromwich on September 28
Pressure mounted further on the embattled manager following a lacklustre showing at Goodison Park, in which United transfer target Leighton Baines and Kevin Mirallas scored the goals.
Moyes bizarrely claimed that his team had played well after they lost 2-0 at Everton despite one of the most lame performances of his reign.
Many United fans saw the performance as a tipping point and the increasing number who were calling for him to go have got their wish.
Afterwards, Moyes — who was taunted by a man dressed as the Grim Reaper in the crowd — claimed he was happy with the display.
He said: ‘We played well in the first half but conceded two on the counter-attack. We didn’t deserve to be 2-0 down. We had good control of the game and possession of the ball. We didn’t defend well for the goals, though. That was right rotten.’
Masterstroke: Moyes did persuade star striker Wayne Rooney to turn down the overtures of Chelsea and sign a new contract
Revenge: United knocked Liverpool out of the Capital One Cup at the third round stage, offering swift retribution for the Anfield loss
Passion play: Moyes celebrates Javier Hernandez's goal as United beat Stoke City 3-2 at Old Trafford
Low point: Moyes sits and considers his options as United lose 1-0 to his former club Everton on December 4
Moyes’s verdict raised eyebrows in the Sky Sports studio.
‘That’s the worst I’ve seen from them over 90 minutes,’ said pundit and Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher.
‘Nobody seems to know what’s going on, on the pitch or in the dugout. You can’t see what the plan is. When I played it was total dominance from Manchester United. I’m looking at this team and wondering why they didn’t play like that when I was playing.’
Moyes was even criticised on the club's in-house TV channel when pundit David May said he was 'out of his depth' before being hushed up by the presenter.
More to follow
Row: Moyes grabs the ball from Hatem Ben Arfa as Alan Pardew looks on during December's 1-0 home loss to Newcastle United
Race is on: Moyes runs along the touchline to retrieve the ball during United's New Year's Day loss to Tottenham
Protest: Moyes runs on to the pitch to appeal after a blatant handball is not given in the Tottenham match
No luck: Moyes rues a missed chance as United slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland in the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final
Out: With coach Phil Neville after United were knocked out of the Capital One Cup on penalties by Sunderland
January sales: Moyes bought Juan Mata from Chelsea for £37m in a bid to revive the flagging season
Nadir: United produced their most miserable performance of the season as they were beaten 2-0 by Olympiacos in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie
The great turnaround: But a Robin van Persie hat-trick gave United a 3-0 win at Old Trafford and took them through to a last eight encounter with Bayern Munich
Anger: A fan remonstrates with Moyes during the 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City
Guarded: Stewards protect the 'Chosen one' banner on the Stretford End at the end of the City defeat
Stunt: Disgruntled United fans paid for this plane to fly over the ground during a home match with Aston Villa. The plane's appearance was roundly booed by United fans in the ground
Good display: United produced their best performance of the season in the 1-1 home draw with Bayern Munich
Beyond them: But Bayern came from behind in the second leg in Munich to win 3-1 and knock United out of the Champions League
Waving goodbye: The final straw was United's 2-0 loss at Goodison Park on Sunday
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