"That's the worst we have played in Europe. It was a really poor performance. We never really got going from the start and we didn't deserve anything because of the way we played." Those were the words of Manchester United manager David Moyes after his team was defeated 2-0 on Tuesday against Olympiacos in the Champions League.
No one expected the Red Devils to fall victim to the Greek side, despite United's poor play this year. The loss was the sixth of 2014 for Moyes' team and did little to quell conversations regarding his potential firing from the club.
Moyes' inaugural season with the club has been woeful to say the least. Here are the five worst performances of his career with United this season in no particular order.
1. 2-0 Loss against Olympiacos on Feb. 25, 2014
Why not start with the most recent? Moyes himself called this his team's worst performance and one would be inclined to agree with him. The team did not register a chance on goal until the 89th minute. The team looked lethargic throughout, seemingly uninterested at giving it their all in the only competition that the team can still win. Most would call it a long shot—and after Tuesday's performance it might be an impossibility—but this is the only tournament that United had any real chance of winning. A top four finish in the Premier League looks like it might not happen—forget a title defense—and the team is already eliminated from other domestic tournament.
This performance was not a good sign for Moyes and company.
2. 4-1 loss against Manchester City on Sept. 22, 2013
This match was at the Ethiad, a fortress for City, but one might expect such a big rivalry to be more competitive. United looked unable to match City's speed or organization in the midfield and was completely demolished inside their own penalty area. The match was essentially finished after the first five minutes of the second half as City struck for two goals right after half-time to take a 4-0 lead; it could have been an even wider gap if not for some lucky breaks. A Wayne Rooney free kick late in the game did little other than pad his stats.
3. 2-1 loss against Swansea City in FA Cup on Jan. 5, 2014
United was coming off a loss against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League but had a huge chance to continue competing for the FA Cup. The team scored an early goal thanks to Javier Hernandez before giving up the lead in the 16th minute. In the final minutes of the game United imploded and gave up a goal; the loss eliminated them from the FA Cup.
4. Loss against Sunderland in Capital One Cup Semifinals
Two days after being eliminated from the FA Cup by Swansea City—the team they destroyed 4-1 early in the year—Manchester United fell 2-1 against Sunderland in the Capital One cup semifinals. Sunderland is one of the worst teams in the entire league and is in danger of relegation. United returned home for the second leg a few weeks later and managed to pull off a 2-1 win in extra time; but the team imploded during the penalties and was eliminated. The fact that United could not cope with a weak side like Sunderland over two legs speaks volumes about this team's poor form.
5. 2-2 draw against Fulham on Feb. 9, 2014
Currently, Fulham is the worst team in the Premier League. United were expected to pull off a win against them at the Old Trafford. And it all seemed like it would work out for the Red Devils. Despite trailing for most of the game and playing woefully throughout, United got goals from Robin Van Persie (78th minute) and Michael Carrick (80th) against the worst side and looked poised to claim three big points. During his tenure as manager Sir Alex Ferguson seemed to have a way of inspiring his troops to big moments in the game's closing minutes. Moyes seems intent on the complete opposite and this was one prime example of the team's failure. United conceded a goal in the fourth minute of stoppage and lost two huge points at home.
What do you think are United's worst moments under David Moyes?
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