It has been a rocky season for Manchester United and devoted fans are wondering if this team is capable of achieving its prior glory. Is the new club manager, David Moyes, really an appropriate successor to the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson?

While the win over Arsenal two weeks ago convinced fans, media, and rival clubs that Manchester United was back into the swing of things, the recent draw to Cardiff City (a below par team) has driven fans back into misery again. The team now sits 6th place on the BPL table, trailing Arsenal by seven points.

Manchester United’s future ultimately lies in David Moyes’s hands. But the odds haven’t been in his favor—star players Michael Carrick and Robin Van Persie are injured. Arguably, the absence of Robin Van Persie, the main striker, played a huge part in Manchester United’s recent poor performance. Not surprisingly, the majority of losses have been blamed on his absence. Van Persie was the heart of Manchester United last season, scoring 32 goals. However this year, Wayne Rooney has been the main man with 12 assists and 10 goals in 15 games and has led people to believe Manchester might be just a one man team.

The key for Manchester United going forward this season is the partnership between Rooney and Van Persie—this pair can certainly give defenders a nightmare if they work together.

As fan Omar Ahmed ‘15 notes, “The day Van Persie came we all knew that Rooney and RVP were deemed to be the best.” Manchester United has never lost when these two stars have played together. Their understanding for each other is tremendous and consistency between these two is key. This “unbreakable bond” was displayed when playing Arsenal two weeks ago. We have only seen glimpses of this combination.

“They both are truly invincible,” says Jesse Lin ’16. “I don’t think anybody can stop them without building a wall in front of the goal”. Both of them are experienced, fast, and reliable goal scorers.

The Manchester United squad undoubtedly has great talent—De Gea, Van Persie, and Rooney are all iconic figures. But they need a spark to get them going, which Sir Alex Ferguson gave them. To be fair to Moyes, replacing a manager after 26 years is an adjustment, to say the least. He has already shed some light with the win at Arsenal; however, Manchester United is still failing to consistently impress. For now, David Moyes has a stressful and demanding job to attend to.