The legal world was certainly quick off the mark when manager David Moyes left Manchester United last week after 10 months in a job that appeared to have put 10 years on him.

Obiter was impressed by the ability of Littleton Chambers barrister John Mehrzad to pen a blog on Moyes’ legal rights before the Scotsman had time to fill a black bin bag with his training kit. Mehrzad pointed out that Moyes was reportedly informed of his dismissal at 8am on the first working day after the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. The blogger questioned how much time that left for a ‘trust and confidence’ investigation prior to his dismissal.

With even more immaculate timing, the League Managers Association, the trade union for ashen-faced Ron Knees, is advertising in the Gazette for an in-house employment lawyer. The appointee must be ‘an excellent communicator, capable of delivering a rapid response, often in challenging circumstances, to members’ needs for legal advice and representation’.

Not half – Moyes is the 10th managerial change in the Premier League this season, so the appointee will need to keep the mobile switched on.

Perhaps Moyes will be in touch to ensure his next contract leaves out any performance-related caveats. His United deal is reported to have had a clause entitling the club to offer a one-year pay-off, rather than honour the full remaining five years, if the team failed to qualify for the Champions League. In effect, that capped Moyes’ pay-off at a reported £4.5m-£5m from a contract potentially worth £30m. Sick as a parrot he’ll be. Possibly.

Manchester United said it would ‘like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role’.

Topics