Manager David
Moyes took responsibility for Manchester United's dramatic decline this season
after a dismal home defeat to Manchester City.
The reigning champions are seventh, 18 points adrift of leaders Chelsea after
City inflicted
United's sixth home league loss of the
season.
"I am the one who picks the team," Moyes said. "I take responsibility and
always will do. It is disappointing."
A rapid decline at United
After 31 league matches last season, United topped the table on 77 points -
12 clear of City. After the same number of games this season, the Red Devils are
26 points worse off, 15 behind their rivals who have two games in hand
"I thought it would be a tough year but I hoped it would
be more competitive."
The defeat means United have now lost more league games at home this season
than in the previous three campaigns combined.
In nine matches against the Premier League's top five, they have won just
once,
against Arsenal
in November.
Despite
reaching the
quarter-finals of the Champions League, United have fallen well short of the
consistency which saw them win the title by 11 points under Sir Alex Ferguson
before his
retirement
last summer.
"Everybody knows this is a job that is going to take a little bit of time to
get the way we would like but that is the job," added Moyes, 50.
"Other clubs have had to do rebuilding jobs - we hope it won't take as long
as some others but we have a period of time to get to that level.
"There are a lot of really good players in the squad, a lot of
internationals, who, on their day, can be a match for most players."
United against the Premier League top five
- Chelsea: 0-0 draw (home); 3-1 defeat (away)
- Man City: 4-1 defeat (away); 3-0 defeat (home)
- Liverpool: 1-0 defeat (away); 3-0 defeat (home)
- Arsenal: 1-0 win (home); 0-0 draw (away)
- Everton: 1-0 defeat (home); away fixture 20 April
The former Everton boss admits he hoped United would be
"closer to the top of the league than we are at the moment," but believes his
side did not "lack effort or commitment" against their local rivals.
City, who were the last team to deny United the title in 2012, scored through
Edin Dzeko after 43 seconds at Old Trafford and the Bosnian doubled the lead
before Yaya Toure struck a third late on.
"We never came out of the blocks," added Moyes. "We never got started. For
Manchester City to score inside the first minute gave them a really big lift.
"I told the players at half-time that we wanted to start the second half
stronger and that we needed to play in their half but we never really got that."
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Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi, will next week defend his 35-man provisional squad for the World Cup in Brazil, officials announced.
