Eric Molloy with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, when he signed for the club in 1997. Inset: Eric today

Moyes dismissal was 'bad form', but club has to move on - Molloy

A WESTMEATH man who signed for Manchester United at the height of Sir Alex Ferguson's successful reign has criticised the manner in which his successor, David Moyes, was sacked by the club on Tuesday.

Moate's Eric Molloy said that United "could have handled it better", though he conceded that Moyes' short reign at Old Trafford was nearing its end.

Eric (32) signed for United's academy in the summer of 1997, and spent five seasons at the club, brushing shoulders with megastars like Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane.

He graced the celebrated academy ranks at the same time as Republic of Ireland international John O'Shea and current United star Darren Fletcher, and was at the club during its unprecedented treble win in 1999.

"I think it was bad form," Eric told us when asked about Moyes' demise. "There's only a couple of games to go. Moyes knew the task he had at the start of the year, and when you consider how tough the year has been for him, they could have handled it in a way that wouldn't have caused him more embarrassment."

Eric  - who was supportive of Moyes' appointment as manager last year - said that the blame for this lies squarely at the feet of the club's board, and United's owners, the Glazer family.

"The sporting element seems to be gone, and it's not the way Sir Bobby [Charlton] and Alex Ferguson would have handled things," he remarked.

"Things just weren't going well for Moyes, and it was probably inevitable. But it wasn't all his fault.

"Some of the players lacked respect, and spent too much time on social media. You had Rio Ferdinand tweeting here and there; that would never have been tolerated in Alex Ferguson's day.

"I suppose Moyes tolerated it a bit too much, and that undermined him in the end. As well, you had all that speculation about how he got on with Robin van Persie and Ryan Giggs, and that didn't help.

"Then things started to go wrong on the pitch, and you realised that he was out of his depth.

"To make things worse, it's his first year in charge, and of all clubs Liverpool look like they're going to win the league. So it all came to a head."

With the Moyes era in the past, Eric - as a Manchester United fan, as well as an ex-player - looks to the future with trepidation.

He thinks that nothing short of a managerial big-hitter with a proven track record of winning trophies and signing top players will suffice.

"I'd love to see Pep Guardiola in there, but it's doubtful," he said. "You can see how structured Bayern Munich are and how Barcelona were under him. It's about keeping the ball: a simple but effective style of play."

With Dutch manager Louis van Gaal the favourite to land the job, Eric is intrigued that Roy Keane - currently Martin O'Neill's no. 2 in the Republic of Ireland setup - is being touted as van Gaal's assistant.

"We all know there's a bit of history between himself and Sir Alex, so it's hard to say," said Eric. "I think he'd be ideal for United's dressing room. He knows Manchester United, and he knows what it's like to win at club level.

"Between himself and van Gaal, a bit of temper might be what's needed. Some of the United players need a kick up the backside.

"Keane might be the man to do it. Even his presence would be enough. I remember watching him at United, giving out to lads and motivating them in what was only a five-a-side kickabout.

"You'd nearly be afraid to say hello to him in the mornings. He'd have to talk to you first!"

On top of an injection of discipline, Eric reckons that United need a clearout, and an influx of new players.

"You're talking big money though," he said. "There's a lot of talk about £200 million, but it's going to be tough to get that together when they're not in the Champions League next year.

"The back four alone needs major investment. On top of that, we need midfielders, and a leader of the quality of Keane, Bryan Robson or Eric Cantona - like what Steven Gerrard is to Liverpool."

Eric was released by Manchester United in 2001, and went on to play for Athlone Town and Longford Town. He now plies his trade as a photographer, and still plays football for Athlone side St Peter's.