Manchester United fans in Bermuda awoke yesterday to the news that David Moyes had been fired as manager just a few weeks before the end of his first full season in charge.

The writing has been on the wall for some time that the “Chosen One”, handpicked by the retiring Sir Alex Ferguson last season, was facing the axe.

Yesterday it became a reality, making the Scot the ninth manager in the 20-team Barclays Premier League to lose his job this season. He is also the first United manager to be fired since Ron Atkinson in 1986 when Ferguson came in to replace him and remained in the post until last season when he retired after leading them to a 20th league title.

Ironically, Moyes’s firing came a couple of days after suffering a 2-0 defeat to his former club, Everton, a result that dashed United’s last hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season. The firing dominated the news yesterday and The Royal Gazette contacted some fans in Bermuda for their views on the firing and what now for one of the world’s greatest clubs.

Noel Smith of St George’s, a United fan since 1958, just before the Munich Air Disaster that year: “I thought they might have given him until the end of the year, what can [Ryan] Giggs do in four games?

“Now we have to start over, but to me we have to get rid of players, I would say at least six players. And the guys who are saying they want to go ... bye bye. With Moyes, I think they allowed him to bring too many of his own people in, we should have had guys from United. I don’t think Moyes knew his strongest team.

“The writing was on the wall last year when it was the weakest team to win the league ... and we won the league by 11 points!

George Bremar of Somerset: “I’m not surprised at all, Americans own United and they want to make money. But I honestly thought they would have given Moyes until Christmas to get it right. In my opinion his firing came from his first transfer window when he messed up.

“United have been moving away from their youth players, buying this player and that player. They need to have a new manager before the end of the season.

“My pick would be Pep Guardiola [Bayern Munich] or Louis van Gaal [Holland]]. After what Ferguson did it was going to be hard for anybody coming in. United weren’t looking for a three-year manager and that’s why they went after Moyes.

Joy Warren: “I’m excited and I feel they should give Ryan Giggs an opportunity, not saying he would have been the best manager.

“At this point the team needs somebody who is familiar with them, somebody who gets the players respect and I don’t think the players respected Moyes. And I don’t think he commanded that respect, either. I thought he was very wishy-washy and his brand of football wasn’t very attacking, to me. He seemed okay with them being mediocre.

“Yes Fergie appointed him, or gave his opinion on him, but I think he was wrong.

Johnny Adams, a United fan since 1962: “I’m overjoyed he’s gone and, personally, he should not have been hired in the first place because I don’t think he has the charisma and knowledge to deal with a club as large and as great as Manchester United. It’s one of the greatest clubs in the world and we need a world-class coach.

“He might have been a good guy for Everton but he’s not good enough to come into United and fill Sir Alex’s shoes.”

Tristan Abend, a fan for 30 years and a season-ticket holder: “Unfortunately it was just and due. We tried supporting him as long as we could but at this point he wasn’t giving us any encouragement going into the new season. He was losing the dressing.

“I think I supported him up until the end of February, early March. He looked short of ideas and didn’t look like he had a clue how to turn things around. The odds on favourite is Louis van Gaal but I would love to see Jurgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund who has already come out to say he is not leaving. I really like his style the most.”