David Moyes says he is “more driven than ever” to succeed at Manchester United and believes aggrieved supporters “are entitled to do” whatever pleases them.
The reigning champions have endured a poor domestic season and hosts Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday amid rumours fans have hired a plane with a banner demanding the Scot is sacked.
“I want the team to turn around and I want to change the position we’re in,” said Moyes at his pre-match news conference on Friday. “I’m more driven than ever to succeed.
“The players know exactly what it is to play for Manchester United – they know the standards they have to set,”
The ‘Red Devils’ go into this weekend’s fixture in the wake of their midweek derby loss to Manchester City- their sixth home loss of the season. They sit seventh in the table, 18 points behind leaders Chelsea, with seven matches remaining.
They are 12 points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal and entertain European champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie after Saturday’s match with Aston Villa.
The Scot adds that he retains the full support of his players and wants them to use the game at Villa Park to build their confidence ahead of the midweek test.
“Definitely. I’ve got no reason to suggest anything else,” he added. “They’re great, they train great, we work well together, we have a great relationship as far as I’m concerned.
“But what I want is for us to have a winning team. A lot of people are saying that, with the quality we’ve got, why are we not performing?
“There are reasons. There’s a new manager and everybody is well aware that there will have to be changes in the squad, and that will take time. People need to understand that it’s not just going to happen overnight.
“We go into the Villa game knowing that we want to go into the Munich game in good fettle. And we’re looking forward to it because we played really well at West Ham and if we can follow up with a similar performance, I’ll be more than happy.
“But then we play against maybe the best team in Europe in midweek, which we’re looking forward to.”
On the flip side, there is a growing demand at the club for Moyes’ sack. A request for donations towards the £840 of hiring a light aircraft-n intended to fly over Old Trafford ahead of the game against Villa a banner demanding Moyes is sacked.
According to a report on the Daily Mirror, the fans are season-ticket holders and members of the Red Issue forum- where the green and gold campaign against owners of the club, the Glazer family started- and they say they’ve had enough of Moyes.
On reports some fans have paid to tow “The Wrong One: Moyes Out” banner over the club ground as he and his team emerge from the tunnel, Moyes said: “I have heard of it and what they are saying about it. People can do that. They are entitled to do that.
“But this is something which is a long journey here, this is only the start of the journey. Everywhere I go I get great support from Manchester United supporters.
“I was at a dinner last night for Darren Fletcher (United For Colitis programme) and there were Manchester United supporters who came up to me and said ‘come on, keep going, we understand exactly the situation the club is in and team is in’. They were really supportive and every time I have been to Old Trafford they have been great.”
