Alex Ferguson has hit back at critics of the state that he left Manchester United in, instead suggesting that it was the fact that David Moyes did not realise how big Man Utd were that caused his downfall, as reported by The Guardian.

Writing in his updated autobiography, Ferguson suggests that it was a “massive jump” from Everton to Old Trafford.

He also wrote: “He hadn’t realised just how big United is as a club.”

Ferguson further suggests that the change in playing style under Moyes was somewhat to blame, saying: “The reason for playing at speed was that United players had been accustomed to operating that way.

“If the tempo slowed for any reason, I would be into them at half-time. ‘This is not us,’ I would say. Playing with speed never hindered our results. It was our way: energy and determination in the last third of the pitch.”

Moyes’s time at Old Trafford was punctuated by frequent disappointment for Man Utd fans, who saw their club change from champions of the Premier League to a side struggling in mid table.

The results achieved under the Scotland manager ultimately saw them finish in seventh, missing out on European football for the first time since the start of the Premier League era as a result.

Louis van Gaal replaced him in the summer, and salvaged a point at West Brom last night.