David Moyes Ignored Advice at Manchester United, says Rene Meulensteen

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has revealed David Moyes ignored the advice of staff at Old Trafford, and he believes this was the reason for the Scot's downfall.

The Red Devils sacked Moyes on Tuesday after a disappointing season which has seen the club drop out of the Champions League places and exit all three cup competitions in ignominious fashion.

Meulensteen was removed by Moyes as soon as he took over, and he believes the Scot's desperation to stamp his authority on United was the key factor in his demise.

"You have to look at Manchester United and the job that David Moyes took on. United were a very successful team, with many successful years behind them. The strategies in place worked. But David ignored the advice that was given to him by many of the staff in place at the time," Meulensteen told the Guardian.

"He opted to put his own plans in place, which he was perfectly entitled to do, but I think it backfired on him. I always strongly believe the performances and the results are a reflection of what is actually happening behind the door and that wasn't good enough, as simple as that."

Meulensteen, who was one of Sir Alex Ferguson's senior coaches for six years, also said Moyes under-estimated the scale of the job at Old Trafford.

"Don't forget David was a respected manager in the Premier League who worked for 11 years at Everton in a very good way," Meulensteen stressed.

"But I did warn him: 'Do you realise, after everything at Everton, you're going from a yacht to a cruise liner? That's how big the difference will be.'

"It's not just necessarily the work on the pitch. It's everything that surrounds Manchester United, the players, the performances, the pressure, the style, the identity. And I think he underestimated that. It's always easy in hindsight but unfortunately it's cost him his position."

Moyes has been replaced by Ryan Giggs, who thanked the Glaswegian for giving him an opportunity to be a coach in his first press conference as the club's manager.