Steve Coppell, the former Reading manager, maintains that Manchester United made the right decision in appointing David Moyes as Alex Ferguson’s successor.

Coppell, who spent nine seasons as a player at Old Trafford, said he sympathises with the beleaguered Moyes, but believes he faces a “make or break” summer to revamp his squad and adopt a more expansive style of play.

He also agrees with Moyes’s assertion that his predecessor would have also struggled with this season’s squad, who are seventh in the Barclays Premier League, 17 points behind Liverpool, the surprise leaders.

“Whenever Ferguson left it was going to be an issue,” said Coppell who is one of several celebrities visiting Bermuda as part of the Hackers Cup golf tournament at Tucker’s Point and Port Royal.

“It was never going to be a seamless transition. Ferguson was such a strong personality, running the club for 20-odd years from top to bottom.

“I thought David Moyes would be a great choice for United, having served his apprenticeship at Everton. He knows what the Premier League is all about, but now he has to get to know a huge club like United and stamp his authority on the team.”

Had Ferguson stayed on as United manager, Coppell believes he would have “conducted some major surgery” to last season’s title-winning squad, but said he understood Moyes’s pragmatic approach, opting for evolution rather than revolution in his hitherto transfer dealings.

“People forget that when Ferguson was appointed as United manager it took him three seasons to win anything,” said Coppell, who honeymooned in Bermuda and visited the Island on several occasions as a United player.

“During those three seasons, his teams didn’t play the beautiful, attacking football that his later teams did, so he had to find his feet.

“If Ferguson had stayed he would have conducted some major surgery last summer, but I think [Moyes] wanted to see the players and see what they were capable of before he made any big decisions.

“I can understand David’s situation. He won’t get the time that Ferguson had and he will certainly have to make some significant signings in the summer. His team will also have to play a more attractive style of football.”

A lifelong Liverpool supporter, Coppell is effusive in his praise of their manager, Brendan Rodgers. And, while he suspects that Manchester City will have the firepower and strength in depth to claim their second title in three years, he is confident that Liverpool will not be too far behind.

“Brendan has given the team direction, a focus and attention to detail in the planning of games,” said Coppell who led Crystal Palace to the FA Cup Final in 1990, losing 1-0 to United in a replay.

“If you were looking for a manager of the year, Brendan would be right up there. City have the depth, quality and firepower. They have a bit of everything.

“City have to be favourites but Liverpool are knocking on the door now. They have proven that if they don’t [win the title] this season, they are well capable of doing it next season.”

Coppell enjoyed plenty of success at Palace, where he unearthed Ian Wright, who went on to star for Arsenal, from non-League obscurity, and Reading, where he won promotion to the top flight in 2006 for the first time in the club’s history.

More recently he served as director of football at Crawley Town and Portsmouth, although he has not held a managerial post since his resignation at Bristol City in 2010 after only three months and two games in charge.

Coppell, who also stepped down as Manchester City manager in 1996 after just 33 days, has not completely ruled out a return to the dugout, but is not expecting any offers from chairmen to be forthcoming.

“With my history, I don’t think I’ll be getting another job as a manager, but if it came along, then great,” he said.

“Management is totally different from when I managed. The actual job itself is the same, but the reactions of the people who run the clubs and the people who run football are different. I still watch an awful lot of football — it’s in my DNA.

“If I’m not watching football on a Saturday, I feel like I’m playing truant from school. I watch purely as a fan these days and I still love the game.”