Assistants follow Moyes out the door

Following the announcement that David Moyes has been relieved of his duties as Manchester United manager, the club have confirmed that his assistants, Jimmy Lumsden and Steve Round, have also been dismissed.

Rumours have been circulating for a while that some of United's players were extremely dissatisfied with the methods of at least one of Moyes's coaches, who had acquired the nickname "F*ck Off [NAME]". True or not, their dismissals were inevitable; they arrived as Moyes's trusted lieutenants and so they each have their own share of the responsibility. Perhaps, in hindsight, Moyes's decision to surround himself with coaches he knew and trusted left him unchallenged, unable to alter his methods to his new surroundings.

There is no word on Phil Neville's future; while he worked with Moyes at Everton and followed him to United in the summer, he obviously retains strong ties to the club and in particular to Ryan Giggs, who will take temporary charge of the team for the forthcoming fixture against Norwich City.