Martin Keown has claimed that David Moyes has paid the price at Manchester United for not knowing his best team.

Widespread reports surfaced on Monday, claiming that the Red Devils were preparing to sack Moyes after watching him preside over a miserable season at Old Trafford.

The Scot is still officially in charge at Old Trafford, but the former Arsenal defender believes that the Scot has suffered from changing his starting lineup too many times.

Keown told the Daily Mail: "When you start at a new club, you need to work out quickly who your best players are and then formulate a system that will suit them.

"Moyes failed to do either, picking 51 different starting XIs in his 51 games in charge. Yes, Sir Alex Ferguson used to rotate his squad, too, but he knew who he could rely on in the big games.

"Moyes couldn't crack the code and at times his system seemed old-fashioned. United weren't great at the back under Ferguson but they could usually outscore opponents."

The champions have lost 11 games this term - the most ever in a Premier League campaign.