It's an insult even to ask the question about David Moyes' future... Give him time to adapt to this monster of a job and he'll be a success at United

Ron Atkinson says there can be no transition period for Manchester United. I find that statement difficult to understand, especially coming from a manager who was supported for five years at the club even though he ultimately failed to deliver the title.

He served the club well and won the FA Cup twice and it is true that the Manchester United he took over were nowhere near as strong as the club that David Moyes has inherited. But I still feel that he of all people should understand that Manchester United have to be different.



Last Saturday after the home defeat by Newcastle, all the talk was over how long David Moyes might get and whether he would be sacked if United did not make the top four.

Give him time: David Moyes saw Manchester United lose two home games in a week

But we are talking about a football club who have always had a philosophy of giving their managers time and of trusting that hard work will pay dividends. Before Ron Atkinson, both Tommy Docherty and Dave Sexton were backed to change the club.



Of course, people point out that the Glazer family have never been in this situation before, as Sir Alex Ferguson was unsackable, and that Ed Woodward, the executive chairman, is new to his job.



But the reputational damage of losing that tradition would cost far more than any perceived benefit of changing the manager. And it is not as if there have not been positives in the last six months.



The manager's handling of Wayne Rooney's situation has ultimately been excellent and resulted in the player coming back to his best form. The club have qualified comfortably for the Champions League last 16.



Backed: Manchester United supported Ron Atkinson for five years without him winning the title

My view is simple: David Moyes deserves to have the same period of time that every Manchester United manager has had.



I don't care what Chelsea or Real Madrid do in sacking their managers after winning trophies. Manchester United should be different and stay true to their values. And even if United didn't qualify for the Champions League, which would be a huge disappointment, I would maintain that view.

People may say: 'That's rubbish. United were champions last year and they can't not be in the Champions League. This is 2013 not 1985.' Well, I'm sorry, but for me Manchester United are timeless.



As a club they stand against the immediacy of modern life. And there is nothing to suggest that the Glazer family will not uphold those same values.



They handed David Moyes a six-year contract and everyone who believes in traditional principles in life should be applauding that. So I don't even want to answer the questions about David Moyes's future.



I think it's an insult. And when I read that Manchester United can't have a transitional period I want to ask: 'Why can't they?' Of course they can. It's nonsense to suggest otherwise.



They are not beyond normal experiences of a football club. In 2001, the club were ninth after 15 games with 21 points, one fewer than United had before Sunday's game at Aston Villa.

Stand by your man: Gary Neville wants United to stick with Moyes even if they don't make the top four

In 2005 United hadn't won the league for three years and I remember talking to colleagues wondering whether the club would ever do so again.



There are times when all teams lose their confidence and self-belief. At the moment, I see a team who are tentative, unsure and who have lost their risk-taking abilities.Players are taking a step back.



Manchester United are built on risk and, at the moment, there's not enough risk in their game. They are not passing the ball forward quickly enough, they are not getting enough crosses into the box and not being positive enough in their play.

Performances and results at the moment are not acceptable at a club who demand the very highest standards. Strengthening the squad is necessary but that would bring its own problems, especially in January, when making the right kind of signings is difficult.

Tough time: United players, including Tom Cleverley, show their dejection after defeat to Newcastle

Hard times: United have had a bad start to the season, but Neville says to question Moyes' future is an insult

The idea that they need to flood the transfer market is wrong. It's reactive and, again, not the Manchester United way. For now, it's about getting the best out of the players they have. And these players are too good and too determined to sit there and allow this to happen. They are far better than they're showing at the moment.



The biggest question is how a squad of champion players suddenly lost their belief? What we're seeing are a group struggling to adjust to a major change. And what we can be sure about is that David Moyes will work tirelessly until he has adjusted to the thinking that the job requires.



I have always said that United will change David Moyes, rather than the other way around. It is a monster of a club and some of the principles that have made him a fantastic manager will have to be adapted now. And I'm sure he will change. I don't expect him to have a complete transformation.



It's not as though you are rebuilding a golf swing from scratch, it's a minor tweak that's needed. Too many games at Old Trafford are petering away without incident. United are a team that will throw the kitchen sink at a game they are losing.

Seen it all before: United got off to a bad start in 2001

They might end up with five forwards two wingers, two midfielders and one defender if need be. They will risk losing 2-0 - because in doing so you're also taking the risk of becoming heroes.



Sometimes you have to be unconventional - and that's what Manchester United fans want. Manchester United should always play the same way if it's working. But if it's not, then you have to intervene.



That means encouraging players to take the initiative by switching to more attacking positions if necessary and having a manager who is seen to encourage that mentality. At the moment it is United's opponents who are throwing caution to the wind by being allowed a free hit.

I suspect that David Moyes is also adjusting to the intensity of the press and media coverage in the first few months in the job. However well prepared you are, it must be a shock to experience just how much is made of your weekly press briefings around the world.



Being Manchester United manager is almost a statesmanlike role, given the speed at which your words are transmitted around the globe and the importance that is invested in them.

Statesmen: Moyes has to follow Sir Alex Ferguson in being a statesman like manager



Meanwhile, opponents are busy taking potshots at United in the press, trying to exploit what they perceive as a vulnerable moment for the club. It has been suggested that he needs to be more positive in his tone.



Clearly that is not the determining factor in the poor start in the league but I do believe that the psychology associated with the messages you send out is enormously important.



The tone you set can influence the players' minds and, ultimately, the game. There is strength even in just repeating the name: 'Manchester United Football Club.'



It invokes a degree of authority which builds identity and ultimately gives belief. I am convinced that as David Moyes adjusts, he will deliver trophies at the club, and at that point he will have a renewed the sense of authority.



Until a trophy or the league title does come, he will always have to deal with that question of whether United are struggling because Sir Alex Ferguson isn't there.

In time, he will answer that fully by proving himself. And, while time may be a commodity in short supply at some clubs, that should never be the case at Manchester United.

City owe title bid to senior service

There was a moment in the first half of Manchester City's 6-3 win over Arsenal when Vincent Kompany strode out of defence and played a ball with the outside of his foot to start another attack.



Then, in the second half, Yaya Toure muscled his way past one Arsenal player after another. They might seem insignificant incidents but they were signs of senior players taking control of a big match.



Oozing class: Yaya Toure played a major role in City's 6-3 win over Arsenal

Leading the way: Vincent Kompany put in a strong performance in City's win

In doing so, they are slowly establishing their control of the title race. People will point to City's away form but those are problems you can iron out. In the first half of the season, if you are dominating big games as they have done, then that is more significant.

