Stoppage Time: Mata just a start for Moyes, United

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - There's no escaping the prosaic narrative in the British press surrounding David Moyes and Manchester United of late: The reigning Premier League champions are in need of a somewhat significant squad overhaul, and the former Everton boss has not adequately addressed those needs.

The evidence supporting this assertion lies in the manner in which Moyes and Ed Woodward, United's chief executive, navigated the summer transfer window.

The Red Devils were linked with a host of world-class players including Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara and even a shock swoop for current FIFA Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo, a move that would have seen the Portuguese superstar return to Old Trafford just four years after he moved to Real Madrid.

But United failed to attract any of its top targets and ultimately settled by signing Marouane Fellaini, a player who Moyes knows very well from his time at Everton but one who the Red Devils undoubtedly overpaid.

It would be easy to emphasize the missteps of Moyes and Woodward and claim they are unfit for the positions they hold, but consider the seemingly preposterous alternative: Moyes and Woodward have been largely successful through their short, though demanding, tenure at United.

Now, nobody is suggesting Manchester United, a club with 20 English league titles and one that has not finished outside the top three since 1991, occupying seventh place more than halfway through the season would be a success. But it must be recognized that much of what has impaired United this term has been out of the control of Moyes and Woodward.

It was always going to be difficult for Moyes to address any potential additions during the summer transfer window when he first needed to see what, exactly, he had in the squad. Also, hindsight is 20/20, and do not forget that United was coming off a comfortable title win that made the club's roster appear more attractive than it was in reality.

With only one player arriving in the summer, Moyes could not afford to contend with injuries to key players within the first few months of the season, but that is exactly what has transpired. The Red Devils have gone much of the season without Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick at full health. Moyes received the bulk of the disparagement, which is unfair considering that his predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson, is perhaps the only figure who could have compensated for such impactful losses.

United, occupying seventh place in the top flight during the January transfer window, then got a shot in the arm with the arrival of Chelsea's Juan Mata, who signed with the Red Devils for a club-record fee. It was labeled a panic buy for a club grasping at straws in an effort to stay relevant, but it appears to be a major coup. Mata made his United debut in a 2-0 defeat of Cardiff City on Tuesday, helping the team create scoring opportunities by sitting in dangerous pockets of space and moving well off the ball. The 25- year-old's arrival does as much for the club off the pitch, signaling its ambition to compete at a high level for years to come.

That Woodward signed the Spaniard without even entertaining the proposition of sending Rooney, a high-priority target for Chelsea last summer, the opposite way is a great commendation for United's chief executive. And with United inking starlet Adnan Januzaj to a five-year deal and opening talks with Rooney on a contract extension without the promise of Champions League football for next season, perhaps Woodward's ability has been underestimated.

Moyes recognizes that his job is not finished, and he remains fixated on dipping further into the transfer market to bring United out of its seventh- place position.

"I am not going to accept it," Moyes told the club's official website. "I am disappointed we are not in a much stronger position. I am disappointed with how we have played. I ultimately take the rap for that - and I will do. But what I will do is make it right. I am going to get better players in. There will be more. Unfortunately, I don't think there will be more in January. But it will change. We will change and alter it around. I have said many times, I have given every player the opportunity to play and show what they can do. We have nearly done that now.

"The summer transfer window wasn't a good one for us. I was only just in the job. We were getting to know everyone and we had a new chief executive as well. I was getting to know the players and the squad. We have now had a pretty good chance to have a look at it. We have to start making some changes and we will try to make that happen."

Atop the summer transfer agenda is finding a holding midfielder (or two) to challenge Carrick for playing time and compensate for any looming departures. Arturo Vidal of Juventus and Ilkay Gundogan of Borussia Dortmund have been rumored targets for United, and either one (or both) would be a massive boost for the squad. The Red Devils also would do well to find a long-term replacement for aging left back Patrice Evra, and it appears as though Moyes has his eye on Southampton's Luke Shaw.

But while transfer speculation reigns supreme in the coming months, one thing is for certain: Mata's arrival is just the tip of the iceberg for Moyes' United vision.