Former Manchester United manager David Moyes has stated that he has "no regrets" about his disastrous spell at Old Trafford, with the Scotsman stating that no other manager could have done "better" in the time he was given.
No regrets about taking the job
Moyes built his reputation as one of the best managers in the Premier League during his 12 years with Everton, before the Scotsman was touted as the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson after announcing his retirement at the end of the 2012-13 season.
His tenure at the Red Devils didn't get off to the best of starts with the summer transfer window proving a failure with Marouane Fellaini the only signing, United also failed to get going on the pitch with United finishing seventh having been champions in the previous season and falling short in the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
However Moyes never got to see out his first season at Old Trafford as he was sacked with four games to play, from there United moved onto Louis van Gaal after a brief interim period from Ryan Giggs while Moyes dabbled in La Liga with Real Sociedad.
The 54-year-old returned to the English top-flight last season with Sunderland but his career hit a new low as the Black Cats were relegated, but on the subject of his short time at United Moyes stated that he has "no regrets" about taking the role.
"I have no regrets about taking the United job," Moyes told The Mirror. "When you get offered a job like that you take it."
"When you compare my season to what José (Mourinho) achieved last season it is about those small margins," the Scotsman admitted. "United were always going to have to go through a difficult time when Alex left."
"You only have to see how much money they have spent over the last three years," the 54-year-old proclaimed. "Just to build a team capable of challenging for the title again to see how difficult the job was."
"I accept totally that when you are a manager of Manchester United," the manager admitted. "You have to win. I didn't win enough."
"But I don't think there is a manager out there who would have been able to do something better or quicker in the time I was given after Sir Alex retired," Moyes added. "It was all about small margins."
No need to say what the game means
United have changed quite considerably since the departure of Moyes back in 2014 especially since the arrival of Mourinho, especially in the 2017/18 season as the club headed into the international break joint-top of the table and remained unbeaten thus far.
However the club face their first real test on the return to domestic football as they travel to bitter rivals Liverpool Saturday lunchtime, and fan favourite Juan Mata stated that he and the players know how much the fixture means to them and the fans.
"This is one of the big games of the season without a doubt," Mata wrote in his blog for manutd.com. "There’s no need to say what it means for us and for our fans."
"I hope that we can play a great game," the Spaniard concluded. "And bring the three points back to Manchester."