David Moyes has admitted that he always wanted to return to West Ham after being allowed to leave despite saving the club from relegation.
Since then he has been linked with Everton and admits he had talks with his former club before David Sullivan and David Gold head hunted him again as Manuel Pellegrini’s reign came to its inevitable end.
It was very much a case of completing unfinished business at the London Stadium for Moyes who will tomorrow (Sat) be hoping to see the team take another step towards safety by beating the club he managed for 11 years.
Were he to repeat the the win he had over the Toffees in his last game at the club before returning and do the same to Leicester City whom he also gained a win over, things would look a lot more hopeful than they have been of late.
Speaking to reporters he said: “I always hoped I’d get an opportunity to come back to you and finish the job. I feel as if I had really just got started.
I had only just got here six months and felt that – and if you look at our results at the end of the season we’d beaten Everton the last game of the season 3-0, we’d drawn with Man United midweek we’d beaten Leicester at Leicester the Saturday before – we had just started to get a bit of momentum and a bit of relief.
So I have to get back to that level where it was six months ago as well. It may take time. To be about ups and downs, but I really wanted to give a chance to do West Ham again.
I wouldn’t deny that I spoke to Everton. But I also wouldn’t deny I knew West Ham had suggested there might be a chance of returning.
I think the owners had been big enough to say ‘come back’ and I admired them very much because sometimes it’s a hard thing to do.
Asked what he meant by “finishing the job” at the London Stadium he said: “To get West Ham talked about in terms of European football regularly, hopefully being in it.
I think we have to be feeling that we are a club that can get to that level and I’d love to turn around and say that it would be winning the Premier League.”
But for me, if we could get talked about in terms of a good chance of being in Champions League, the Europa League, I think at the moment for West Ham that would be an improvement.
That’s my plan. I didn’t necessarily say that I was going to be able to do it! I see my job as being to work with the players have got here, first and foremost,
“Who knows? I might go out and sign a 30-year-old in the window but my picture is different. I want to get to a position where we can look in look for the best talent and challenge to get some of the best young talent.”
I like many supporters, didn’t realise that David Moyes was the manager for this club during his first “half a season, rescue mission” stint. Most of us wanted a glamorous name with all the trimmings and we got just that. A manager who was used to unlimited Big budget trial and error purchases…… and in hindsight, he was also a manager out of time……After all, we picked him up from that retirement home which is Chinese football.
But we move on, I would like to state my respect for David Moyes as a man firstly being Big enough to come back to us after being publically humiliated and secondly as a manager who has shown that he has that burning ambition to be successful at this club.
David Moyes, you have my Utmost Respect!
Yes, I do think he is capable of giving me everything that I want as a supporter of this club…….. BUT, reality has bitten me on many levels, I have become aware that the Infrastructure of this club at this level is dysfunctional and requires long term detailed PROFESSIONAL planning…….and no more winging it.
I have also come to understand the levels of frustration that is being experienced by so many of our supporters who can see so many things wrong with this club and repeated errors of judgment. I’ve recently come to realise that our training facilities are poor to substandard compared to most Premiership and even some Championship clubs. Our scouting network was sub-standard but is now virtually non-existent…….. this despite excuses is inexcusable.
I support this club, but also realise that I do not have a monopoly on common-sense and how or what supporters should do or say regarding this, because football is an emotional game where we have All invested so much love and emotion with this club that we feel we have a right to be heard.