Giggs takes over the helm

Manchester United have sacked David
Moyes less than one season into his six-
year contract and put Ryan Giggs in charge
until a permanent replacement is
appointed.
United confirmed Moyes' departure on
their Twitter feed at around 8:30am on
Tuesday, although reports of his imminent
exit had been circulating for almost 24
hours amid silence from the club.
A short statement thanked Moyes for "the
hard work, honesty and integrity he
brought to the role" during his time in
charge.
Giggs will take temporary charge until a
permanent replacement is named,
although there has been no word yet from
United on the future of Moyes' backroom
staff.
Moyes was hand-picked by Sir Alex
Ferguson as his long-term successor, but
poor results undermined his attempts to
build for a new era of success at Old
Trafford.
The Scot inherited a side that won the
Premier League by 11 points and leaves
them seventh in the table, already certain
to miss out on Champions League football
next season.
United are also guaranteed their lowest
points total in the Premier League era, and
Sunday's comprehensive defeat at Everton
- the club Moyes left for Old Trafford - was
a final humiliation.
Moyes took just six points from 12 games
against the six teams above United in the
table, but as recently as Sunday he
appeared confident he would be given time
and money to reshape the club's playing
squad.
Moyes did sanction deals worth more than
£60m for Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata,
but the task of spending a summer transfer
fund reported to be in the region of
£150m will now fall to his successor.
The decision - and the way it appeared in
the media - has been criticised by United
great Gary Neville, who told Sky Sports
News: "I believe in managers being given
time. I think they should be allowed to
complete their work.
"The idea of giving people three and four
and six-year contracts and then getting rid
of them after 10 months is something
that's foreign to me.
"However, there's no disguising that the
football this season has been poor. The
results have been poor. As a fan I've not
enjoyed watching it. I'm sure David Moyes
himself hasn't enjoyed watching it and I
can't think of many Man United fans who
would have enjoyed watching it either."
Neville also said United's players should
bear significant blame for this season's
poor form, while Sean Bones of the
Manchester United Supporters' Trust
pointed the finger at the club's owners.
Bones said: "This has been done without
class and dignity. It's wrong to brief
journalists before speaking to the man
himself.
"It was a risky decision in the first place to
appoint Moyes because he wasn't proven
at the highest level - that decision is down
to the Glazer family.
"It's a results-based industry, but it's not
been done in the right way and the Glazers
haven't invested in the club at the right
time."