Excellent Irons escape from Pellegrini prison

(Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)

David Moyes would probably be the first to admit he got lucky yesterday!

His only setback was the news that Michail Antonio was unavailable but given his form of late that would have been a mighty shock ahead of the game.

From then on, however, everything went entirely his way with the biggest bonus being that an absolutely awful Cherries side – probably the worst in the Premier League right now – provided the opposition.

They truly are awful although let’s allow for the numerous injuries they have and extend some sympathy to their admirable manager at the worst time in his reign at the club.

The truth is, however, that they were exactly the right opposition for Moyes who then want on to see us get a penalty upheld by VAR plus a reversed red card.

Four goals on he was being hailed as a hero and as his way justifiably explained that it was all down to the players who had made it easy for him in his first game.

I believe he will keep us up and that in fact we will finish in a decent position. However yesterday was about the players rather than Moyes.

They looked as though they had been released from a Pellegrini prison who in the end had no idea how to get a performance from any of them.

Yesterday, they almost managed themselves and although one is tempted to believe that under Moyes we will be efficient rather than exciting that could be a false view.

Anderson, Lanzini, Haller and, increasingly, Fornals along with Antonio are indeed exciting players and with Moyes claiming we will get better, we may be able to prepare for some heady days at the London Stadium after all.

Great win, great relief – a win on Sunday and something from Bramall Lane a week on Friday and we will surely all be believers again!