The 2013–14 season was Manchester United's 22nd season in the Premier League, and their 39th consecutive season in the top-flight of English football.
David Moyes began the season as United's new manager after taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired after almost 27 years in charge. He had been announced as the club's new manager before the end of the previous season, but did not officially take over until 1 July 2013.
Despite winning the Community Shield, United were soon struggling in the league and endured some of their worst results since the end of the 1980s. In January, United were eliminated from the FA Cup at the first hurdle with a loss to Swansea City, as well as from the semi-finals of the League Cup after being beaten on penalties by Sunderland.
United fared better in Europe, topping their group in the group stage. They suffered a scare when they lost to Olympiacos in the first leg of the round of 16, but overcame the deficit in the second leg. United were ultimately eliminated during the quarter-finals in April, with defending champions Bayern Munich beating them 4–2 on aggregate.
On 22 April 2014, with four games remaining, Moyes was sacked as manager, less than a year into his six-year contract. His last game, two days earlier, had ended in 2–0 defeat at his former club Everton. 40-year-old player-coach Ryan Giggs was placed in charge for United's remaining games, from which they collected seven points. A seventh place in the league was United's lowest finish since 1990 and meant that they had missed out on European qualification for the first time since 1989–90 (when English clubs were still banned from European competitions due to the Heysel Stadium disaster of 1985). The last time outside the Heysel ban era that United had missed out on a place in Europe was in 1980–81.
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal was confirmed as Manchester United's new manager on a three-year contract on 19 May 2014, with Giggs appointed as his assistant. On the same day, Giggs announced his retirement as a player after a career spanning nearly 25 years, during which he had played almost 1,000 competitive games for the club and won 34 trophies.
Background It was a period of change for United's staff. In May 2013, manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement after 26 years of service, having just won his 13th Premier League title that season and United's 20th overall. Earlier in February 2013, it was made known that chief executive David Gill would be stepping down after 16 years of service, with 10 years as chief executive. Each announcement was accompanied with the naming of their successors, who would take over on 1 July 2013. David Moyes, aged 50, manager of Everton and a Scotsman like Ferguson, was appointed as the new United manager. Ed Woodward assumed the top executive role at United, although he retained the title of executive vice-chairman.
Moyes looked to appoint his own coaching staff as he started his reign. In May 2013, assistant manager Mike Phelan and goalkeeping coach Eric Steele left the club. First-team coach René Meulensteen followed a month later. All three had served in their respective positions since 2008, while Phelan and Meulensteen had worked in other roles at United since 2001. In their place, Moyes brought in staff from Everton to join him in July, appointing Steve Round as assistant manager, Chris Woods as goalkeeping coach and Jimmy Lumsden as coach. In July, veteran United winger Ryan Giggs became a player-coach, while former United and Everton player Phil Neville was also added to the coaching staff.
Pre-season and friendlies United preceded their 2013–14 campaign with a global tour of Asia, Australia and Europe, before returning to Old Trafford for Rio Ferdinand's testimonial match against Sevilla, marking the defender's 11 years with the club. United's pre-season saw them suffer three defeats in seven games, which was described as "poor" and "miserable". One of the defeats came against the Thai All-Star XI, which was David Moyes' first game in charge. By the time the pre-season ended, United were struggling off the pitch as well, having made no major signings at that point. Moyes admitted that the "transition from Everton to Manchester United has been difficult at times". Regarding the lack of major signings, Moyes pointed out that he "got the job on 1 July" and were on tour for the next three weeks, as well as the fact that "the level [he had] been shopping in the past [was] not the level Manchester United have been shopping in".
During this period, United had to battle to retain the services of their striker Wayne Rooney. Near the end of the previous season, weeks before Sir Alex Ferguson's announcement of retirement, Rooney was reported to have verbally asked to leave the club despite not handing in a transfer request. After Moyes took over, Rooney was left angered and confused by comments by Moyes which seemed to indicate that Rooney would be playing second fiddle to fellow striker Robin van Persie. Chelsea attempted to sign Rooney, with Chelsea manager José Mourinho openly declaring his high interest, but United insisted that Rooney was not for sale.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance13 July 2013Thai All-Star XIN0–160,00020 July 2013A-League All StarsN5–1Lingard (2) 11', 55', Welbeck (2) 34', 70', Van Persie 87'83,12723 July 2013Yokohama F. MarinosA2–3Lingard 19', Tashiro 30' (o.g.)66,37226 July 2013Cerezo OsakaA2–2Kagawa 54', Zaha 90+1'44,85629 July 2013KitcheeN5–2Welbeck 16', Smalling 22', Fábio 26', Januzaj 50', Lingard 80'40,0006 August 2013AIKA1–1Henríquez 68'30,0129 August 2013SevillaH1–3Valencia 64'43,000
FA Community Shield
As Premier League champions, United began the season against the holders of the FA Cup, Wigan Athletic in the Community Shield. The match, which was David Moyes' first competitive fixture in charge of Manchester United, was played at Wembley on 11 August. United ran out 2–0 winners due to two goals from Robin van Persie in a game where they played "with a sense of control" but failed to "emphasise the gulf between the two clubs more emphatically". This was United's (and Moyes') first silverware of the season. The Shield was ultimately Moyes' only honour as United manager.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance11 August 2013Wigan AthleticN2–0Van Persie (2) 6', 59'80,235
Premier League
August and September United faced a tough start to the 2013–14 league season; within the first five games in August and September, three were against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City. After the fixtures were decided, manager David Moyes publicly questioned whether the draw was done fairly for the defending champions. Moyes' first league game in charge of Manchester United saw them visit Swansea City on 17 August. It was a bright start for United as they ran out 4–1 winners with doubles from Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck, while substitute Wayne Rooney played a part in two goals. This put United at the top of the league, a height they would never replicate that season.
United's first home game of the season was against José Mourinho's Chelsea. They played out a stalemate for the first 0–0 game since 2009 at Old Trafford in 77 Premier League games. Rooney, who was being courted by Chelsea at the time, performed prominently and positively while receiving much support from the Old Trafford crowd. The club's next match saw an "error-prone and inhibited" United falling to fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield for Moyes' first competitive loss. Liverpool led from the fourth minute through Daniel Sturridge and topped the table with their third consecutive 1–0 victory. United, though, were out of the top four, and they stayed out for the rest of the season. United had not failed to score in successive games in six years.
Following the international break, Moyes' first home win came against Crystal Palace on 14 September, during which Ashley Young was yellow carded for diving against Kagisho Dikgacoi, for which Moyes would criticise Young. In another controversial clash near the end of first half, Young this time earned a penalty and Dikgacoi was sent off. Van Persie converted and Rooney later scored from a free kick for a 2–0 win. Also, new signing Maroune Fellaini debuted as a substitute.
United then travelled across town to play a much anticipated fixture against local rivals Manchester City. City opened the scoring through Sergio Agüero in the 16th minute, then doubled their lead via Yaya Touré seconds before half-time. Any thoughts of a comeback for the visitors were dispersed soon after the restart, as Agüero grabbed his second and City's third in the 47th minute. Samir Nasri then added his own name to the scoresheet three minutes later to compound United's misery. Rooney managed to pull a goal back with a 25-yard free kick late on into the game, but it was merely consolation as United fell to their worst defeat at the Etihad Stadium in nine years.
On 28 September, Manchester United hosted West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford. The visitors took the lead in the 54th minute through Morgan Amalfitano, but United responded quickly, levelling the scores with a Rooney free kick three minutes later. However, West Brom hit back immediately, with 20-year-old substitute Saido Berahino grabbing the winner as David Moyes' side slipped to their first home defeat of the season.
October and November On a run of back-to-back Premier League defeats, United then travelled to the Stadium of Light to play against league strugglers Sunderland. Much to Moyes' dismay, it was once again the opposition who struck first, as Craig Gardner capitalised on Nemanja Vidić's error to put the hosts ahead. However, United fired back, as 18-year-old Adnan Januzaj scored twice on his first Premier League start, rescuing a valuable three points for the visitors.
The Red Devils then began a run of four consecutive home games at Old Trafford, beginning with a visit from high-flying Southampton, who boasted the best defensive record in the Premier League. Van Persie's 26th-minute strike looked to have set the hosts on course for a win, but the visitors equalised through a last gasp corner kick, with Dejan Lovren's header deflecting off of Adam Lallana to spoil United's celebrations.
The club then welcomed Stoke City to Old Trafford. Despite holding the worst goalscoring record in the Premier League, Stoke unexpectedly drew first blood through Peter Crouch in the third minute. Van Persie looked to have levelled proceedings heading into half-time with a 43rd-minute strike, but the visitors soon regained their lead seconds before the break, this time through a Marko Arnautović free kick. With the game entering its final 15 minutes, United finally found their equaliser as Rooney headed in Van Persie's corner kick, and less than two minutes later, substitute Javier Hernández completed the comeback as he nodded in Patrice Evra's cross.
On 2 November, Manchester United visited Fulham at Craven Cottage. United began brightly, as Rooney set up Antonio Valencia for the game's opener in the ninth minute, and cemented their lead a few minutes later after two quick-fire goals from Van Persie and Rooney. Alexander Kačaniklić's heavily deflected shot pulled one back for the hosts in the 65th minute, but it was not enough in the end to prevent David Moyes' side from taking the three points, as his team won two consecutive league games for the first time all season.
United then clashed with rivals and league leaders Arsenal at Old Trafford. Van Persie, who had left the Gunners to join United the previous season, once again struck against his former side after his header found the back of the net in the 27th minute. Despite the visitors looking largely dominant possession wise throughout the match, solid defending from the hosts were enough to see through a win, as United recorded a memorable victory over Arsène Wenger's in-form men.