By Hughie Southon
The day Sunderland were relegated led by Moyes
Back in the 2016/17 season when David Moyes replaced Sam Allardyce at Sunderland he was the great hope to ensure that a famous old club would firmly establish itself as a Premier League club.
Sadly, events mirrored what is happening at West Ham five seasons later – a decline of near epic proportions with the club now a mid table Championship club.
For in that terrible season The Black Cats fell to a shocking relegation and have struggled to regain any sort of foothold towards the Premier League since those darkest of days.
Then owner Ellis Stafford took the blame for not sinking money into player investment with Moyes claiming later that he made a huge mistake in taking the job.
The season ended with Sunderland managing 31 points from eight wins and six draws, leaving games lost at a massive 28. He won three games away from home. So far he has managed one this season with us.
Sunderland were confirmed to be relegated to the EFL Championship for the first time in ten years on 29 April 2017, after a 1–0 loss to AFC Bournemouth, marking the first relegation of Moyes’ career. After the match, he stated that he would like to remain as manager. However, on 22 May, one day after the end of the Premier League season, Moyes resigned.
It’s looking almost a case of foread West Ham read Sunderland…Moyes as far as I can see has been totally found out as a manager and things look totally horrendous for us as a result!
Do the right thing Mr Moyes and just go.
Please 🙏
The Board need to wake up to this. The Moyes model at Sunderland, as outlined in this article, is being played out at West Ham right now. All the traits are the same, a one trick pony set up, reliance on a little group of favourites regardless of squad form. His tunnel vision stubbornness is a liability,, he cannot see change options or the horizon. Even worse, he has demoralised and scattered the Academy players, potentially installing years of barren internal growth. Not only will we be relegated like Sunderland, he has demotivated players who will leave, ensuring no quick return. The first team squad, the U21 squad, all shattered. He has dug himself in as chief rotten apple destroying the whole barrel.
Everton twisted and are on course for 3 wins in 5.
Harry Redknapp for manager till end off season, Moyes out now!!!!
I wanted to voice my thoughts and opinions at the end of this season, but I now feel that the time is right. As a long-suffering supporter of this club, I backed David Moyes possibly beyond a certain point due to the unbelievable upwards trajectory and turnaround of this club under him as our manager.
Over the years I have seen MANY failing clubs and a multitude of managers and I watched the process which eventually led to the dismissals of these managers. The reasons why these managers were dismissed were varied but ultimately were down to the performance of their teams on the pitch.
This leads me to what Moyes has in common with many of those clubs, it has become obvious to me that he has LOST the trust and respect of the dressing room and players and I feel that this has been in the making for some considerable time.
I didn’t feel that some of the exits at this club made any sense or were explained away adequately, Alan Irvine and Stuart Pearce… just to name two. But the noticeable decline under Moyes seemed to happen after Stuart Pearce’s exit. The appointments of Billy McKinley and Mark Warburton were meant to be upgrades to the coaching staff, but without being too harsh or personal, we all know differently.
Then there are all of the contract issues, leaked voices of discontent and the well-documented issues with our academy players. There is a saying that there is no smoke without fire, and there has been a lot of smoke billowing out of our club in recent times.
The ownership of this club has been a distraction, but the owners have needed for some time to have sat down to work out a blueprint for a successful future of this club, this would naturally include the appointment of a technical director. This is how a club like ours should operate going into the future instead of allowing a manager the total control which Moyes has had. Having said this, I do agree that his firm hand was needed at this club, to begin with, but I also feel that we have reached a plateau or certain tipping point with him.
We don’t seem to have a succession plan for Moyes, whereas other clubs (not all) seem to have a managerial replacement lined up well before releasing their manager…
IF Mauricio Pochettino is available on Monday? Release Moyes from his misery, give Pochettino what he wants and we might even get to keep Declan… then watch us fly!