If there was one MLS player who was watching the David Moyes era at Manchester United very closely, it was Landon Donovan.
And after Moyes was shown the door Tuesday after just 10 months on the job, Donovan told SI.com that he was sad to see his former boss from two different loan stints (2010 and 2012) at Everton not get a full season to turn things around with the Red Devils.
“I love David Moyes,” Donovan said. “Not only as a manager, but as a person. He was very good to me. He brought me to Everton, and I was very hopeful he would do well at Manchester United. It's sad to see that he didn't get a little more time. But that's the way the world works these days and I'm sure he'll fall on his feet and do well.”
Moyes, who took over at the beginning of the season for the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, led Manchester United to arguably their worst season in recent memory. But Donovan said that Moyes isn’t all to blame.
“It would have been nice to give him a little more time,” Donovan said. “He inherited a group of players that weren't his own, so that's always difficult. But I think over time, when he was at Everton he's shown he's capable of putting a winning team out on the field. But that's the way it goes. That's life, and that's the unfortunate part of coaching.”
Donovan will still be keeping an eye on his former manager as he moves to his next job, and took the bait when asked about a theoretical Moyes-to-MLS move.
“I would love to have him here,” Donovan said. “We have a fantastic coach in LA with Bruce, so it probably wouldn't be in LA. But he's a terrific manager. I know he loves America. He often traveled to America for preseason with Everton and with other teams. So you never know."
