Moyes/Martinez Exchange Words Ahead Of Utd Manager’s Return To Goodison Park

Everton boss Roberto Martinez claims David Moyes should not blame Manchester United’s failings this season on the quality of his squad.

Moyes faces a hostile reception when he returns to Goodison Park on Sunday and Martinez, who replaced Moyes at Everton last summer, raised the stakes by questioning the excuses given for United’s rapid decline.

The champions trail Everton by nine points with a game in hand, even though Moyes spent £27.5million to bring in Marouane Fellaini from his old club and £37.1m on Juan Mata.

‘They are still the league champions and they haven’t lost anyone,’ said Martinez. ‘It’s the opposite. They have two players on top.

Moyes has suggested he inherited an ageing group from Sir Alex Ferguson, but Martinez believes Jose Mourinho has proved that age is no obstacle by turning Chelsea into contenders.

He added: ‘Who are  these United veterans?  Rio Ferdinand? How many games has Rio played? Not many and Ryan Giggs hasn’t played many, either.

‘You could look at Chelsea and say they are more of an ageing squad. In football, not everything is straightforward — there’s no black and white.

‘An ageing squad if you win becomes an experienced squad with knowhow. If you lose, it becomes the players have no legs. It’s something in between those extremes.

‘You look at Chelsea, title contenders, but squad-wise worse than United.’

Moyes, who enjoyed a rapturous send-off from Everton fans in his final home game last May, knows there will be a very different atmosphere on Sunday.

But he reminded those supporters — and Martinez — that they are building on the foundations he put in place during 11 years on Merseyside.

‘Great credit to Roberto but he has a group of players who were always capable of moving up the league,’ said Moyes. ‘Don’t forget Everton finished above Liverpool last year, and the year before. So it was a great achievement. In a way it should not be a surprise they are doing well. They’ve been in seventh or eighth place for most seasons recently.

‘We also finished in the Champions League. Hopefully in time everyone will look at it and say it was a really good period in Everton’s history.’

Meanwhile, Phil Neville — Moyes’s captain at Everton and now on his staff at Old Trafford — admitted United have let their fans down.

‘We have not fulfilled any expectations,’ he said. ‘We have failed and that doesn’t sit kindly with anyone.

‘I find it difficult to watch Match of the Day. I find it almost impossible because we’ve suffered this season.’