Well it’s beginning to look as though David Sullivan and the Hammers board were right and many – including ourselves were wrong!
Despite incredible pressure and at the time seemingly justified, Sullivan decided to stick by David Moyes as results went from bad to worse.
David Sullivan retained faith in Moyes
Sullivan has received much criticism down the years from a section of fans desperate to get on his case the moment things go wrong.
But in deciding to stay with the Scot he has seen his faith justified to an extraordinary extent in the manner of recent performances which of course have been magnificent.
David Sullivan has rarely received the credit he deserves and much of that goes back to the move from Upton Park but few are now moaning about the London Stadium
And of course he and the late David Gold were mocked when talking about bringing European football to the club or indeed spending plenty in the transfer market. They did both!
Now the David Moyes decision has proved them correct again and there really is very little – if anything – to moan about.
Well done.
By Hughie Southon
That’s very magnanimous of you Hugh. Until we lose 5 nil to Liverpool and you’ll be right back on the Moyes out Horse. Lol. (Hopefully this doesn’t come to pass)
I would agree with you, sticking by Moyes seems to have been the right decision. Let’s face it, we could be in Tottenhams position (god forbid)
Could be in Tottenham’s position – 5th – (god forbid?)
Well said Hughie, I take my hat off to you as a man of responsibility and true integrity. I do hope others are able to see what you and me both can see happening right now. The old saying too good to go down isn’t something that I will ever say again, but when I looked at our squad, that is exactly what I saw.
Don’t get me wrong, I also had serious doubts at one stage, but at a point I was forced to remove my emotion from the equation and look at our situation logically and objectively.
I may be one of the few, but I have never underestimated or dismissed the money, hard work and graft that Mr Sullivan has put into our club and probably 90% of those making dismissive comments would NEVER have put their money into the club that they support. Yes, he is a businessman, but football business isn’t a business in the true sense as it involves big investment along with big losses and the need for great passion without great reward.
But my take on this is that as a businessman he has the in-depth knowledge of HIS business and employees therefore he would be in the best position to know what issues were responsible for our form and league position. As far as I understand, Sullivan (and probably also Kretinsky) have a good working relationship with Moyes, so this probably accounts for the faith that they have held in him. Weaker owners would probably have pulled the plug on him easily before Christmas. Long before Moyes arrived at this club, I have believed for some time that at a club like ours, we need long-term stability to grow and move forward and as painful as it was at the time, I now realise why we had to leave the Boleyn Ground. Only someone with vision and cojones could see this and in years to come Mr Sullivan & the late Mr Gold will be known as the men who saved our club. Which is now MASSIVE by the way.
Credit where credit’s due the board (and David Moyes) appear to have got things right…ish
That said if we don’t actually win the conference cup mere premiership survival shouldn’t be the aspiration at this club – anymore at least.
Admittedly, if we take Arsenal as an example, they were awful for large parts of last season and Arteta was perhaps a game or two from picking up his p45 but it was a rebuilding season for them and their board have been vindicated…Okay I’m not saying we’ll be CL contenders next season BUT we must be top 8 (preferably 6) as such with Moyes’ at times baffling team selections, tactics and substitutions I’m simply not confident his continued tenure is what we need! COYI
What I meant was, they are managerless with no direction.
Bit premature I think, a couple of good performances against weak opposition doesn’t make up for a season of dire dross. Most of our remaining fixtures are against very tough opposition, and we’ve got Alkmaar in Europe who themselves are only two points behind Ajax in the Dutch league. In a couple of weeks time we could be out of Europe and back in the doodah in the Premier. Moyes has still got to go.
No apologies are needed. There was or is no personal vendetta against Moyes. Simply he was holding the team back with his negativity, nobody got it wrong. We just stated facts. Secondly the players turned things around, a number of players changed the approach during arsenal game as publicity revealed not the manager. His man management and leadership qualities are deplorable and the recent upturn in performances which I never doubted that the players would show as they are professionals should change absolutely nothing. If anyone thinks Moyes has changed and suddenly he has gone to an attack minded philosophy and his decisions have been the reason for the change in form you need to have a second look. He has not changed and he still needs to be sacked once the season is over.
Very well put, to corroborate that, the one player who is seeminglyy overlooked is Pablo Fornals. Nuff said
Agreed….. must go
Sorry, but I’m not sure I agree. This wildly swinging pendulum of reaction after each game is too much… How quickly we forget the abysmal recent showings, and how quick we are to forgive when we perform to a standard that is the minimum that should be expected of players of this ilk… Let’s all just calm down.
I won’t criticise Sullivan at all. What he’s done for our club is not to be sniffed at. Nobody’s perfect, but I admire and respect the man. Mostly his composure and restraint, given some of the stick he gets.
But, recent events must have taken its toll, and I daresay sticking with Moyes was simply down to him not having anything left in the cup with which to embark on replacing him. Probably more luck than judgement.
I genuinely want Moyes to do well, but I too believe it’s the players who have taken it upon themselves to revolt against the dour, drab anti-football that Moyes was serving up. I’ve seen nothing in our recent performances to suggest that he’s suddenly found a master stroke of tactical genius. It’s by and large the same players, and the same formation. The fact he continues to inexplicably persevere with Soucek baffles me, and our recent results are in spite of Moyes, not because of him.
I just want us to be a little more balanced in our reactions to things, and not over-react with wild accusations or praise each time we win or lose…
I’ll take the win, the bloody amazing 4-0 win and hopefully with it, Premiership survival.
I’m on the fence though as for the best part of last season, and for most of this, our form has been dire.
However, this is our second full season of European games with a moderately sized squad.
How much has fatigue played a part in the drop off of form? Remember there was a World Cup to be played by a number of the squad too.
Then the team has had to integrate several new players (of international standard).
They also had to adapt to a changing room without Mark Noble, I don’t think the effect of this should be underestimated.
What keeps me on the fence, and why I’m erring towards a new manager, is that through all of this Moyse has time and again played out of form players.
Continues to play others out of position (when there has been no necessity to), and frustratingly overlooks talent from the Academy (though this opinion has been formed from my Australian armchair).
He sets up the team to “not concede” rather than to attack the opposition, and it seems that it was the squad that took the initiative and went on the front foot to secure the last three results.
Even if this was discussed before the games and a team, including manager, decision.
Overall, excluding this wonderful recent run of form, the season has had the feel of a dressing room lost to the manager.
Perhaps a stay of execution is needed, we’re on the precipice of European success, another win or two should see us in the Prem next season, and we’re playing good footy.
I’ll fence sit until the end of the season.
I guess that it is all about perception, but the only thing I can equate this situation to is…
When does a doctor know that his patient is getting better?
When the patient starts competing in marathons? or the visible indications which support his belief that the patient is getting better?
I know what I can see with my eyes and I trust what I see. Nothing wild, crazy or fluctuating here.
COYI