Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has labelled the signing of Marouane Fellaini a 'panic buy'.
Former Old Trafford manager David Moyes returned to former club Everton to land the 28-year-old Belgian for £27m on transfer deadline day in summer 2013.
It followed a series of failed attempts to land other targets and Giggs – Moyes' assistant – says the move for a player who remains largely unloved by United fans was ill thought-out.
Moyes had just succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford and endured a tough start to his short spell in the hotseat.
"The recruitment in that first summer under David Moyes didn't go to plan," said the Welshman.
"I don’t blame David. He came in without any of the inside knowledge about how the squad worked – when certain players needed resting, who was right for which game, who needed to be moved on and who needed to be encouraged.
"Those of us who had lived through it could help him a bit, but a manager has to acquire that knowledge over time.
"Signing Marouane Fellaini so close to the deadline that August, the club’s only major deal in a summer when we needed two or three big names, suggested that things were not running smoothly.
"United had signed players late in the window before – Dimitar Berbatov in 2008 springs to mind – but this time was different.
"This time it was more of a panic." United legend Ryan Giggs has labelled the signing of Marouane Fellaini a 'panic buy'.
Former Old Trafford manager David Moyes returned to former club Everton to land the 28-year-old Belgian for £27m on transfer deadline day in summer 2013.
It followed a series of failed attempts to land other targets and Giggs – Moyes' assistant – says the move for a player who remains largely unloved by United fans was ill thought-out.
Moyes had just succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford and endured a tough start to his short spell in the hotseat.
"The recruitment in that first summer under David Moyes didn't go to plan," said the Welshman.
"I don’t blame David. He came in without any of the inside knowledge about how the squad worked – when certain players needed resting, who was right for which game, who needed to be moved on and who needed to be encouraged.
"Those of us who had lived through it could help him a bit, but a manager has to acquire that knowledge over time.
"Signing Marouane Fellaini so close to the deadline that August, the club’s only major deal in a summer when we needed two or three big names, suggested that things were not running smoothly.
"United had signed players late in the window before – Dimitar Berbatov in 2008 springs to mind – but this time was different.
"This time it was more of a panic."
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