Transfer Talk: David Moyes feels the heat in losing start

 

Peter Parker
Saturday 13 July 2013 23:26 BST
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Asier Illarramendi has signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid
Asier Illarramendi has signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid

David Moyes hardly made the brightest start to his attempt to replace the man who won 13 Premier League titles and served Manchester United with distinction for 26 years.

Moyes' first game as United manager ended in defeat as Teeratep Winothai scored the only goal for Singha All Stars in Bangkok. But Moyes can take positives from this first run-out, with impressive performances from Adnan Januzaj in the first half and Wilfried Zaha in the second. Both were effectively gifts from Ferguson.

The arrival of Robin van Persie among a group set to link up with the party today in Sydney, where United will spend a week in rather cooler temperatures, will at least give the Scot a glimpse of something that has more of a sense of reality about it.

It was far too steamy in Thailand for playing dynamic, cut-and-thrust football but one player displaying plenty of energy was the 18-year-old Belgian Januzaj, who was given a shirt number and a place on the bench for Ferguson's farewell match at West Bromwich.

Zaha, signed by Ferguson from Crystal Palace but only now playing at the club, also offered Moyes reasons to be optimistic.

One of United's perennial rivals for the title of best in Europe, Real Madrid, have completed the signing of the 23-year-old holding midfielder Asier Illarramendi on a six-year contract for £28 million from Real Sociedad.

Norwich City have signed the Holland midfielder Leroy Fer from FC Twente on a four-year deal. Fer's arrival for an undisclosed fee is the second new signing for the Canaries in three days after the capture of the Sweden international Martin Olsson from Blackburn Rovers.

Swindon Town have confirmed their manager Kevin MacDonald has left the League One club by mutual consent. MacDonald, 52, who took over in March from Paolo Di Canio, missed Friday's friendly at Forest Green Rovers with doubts over his future arising after reports that he had offered his resignation.

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