The guy we love to hate gives his Moyes verdict
And he asks: “Do you want to play pretty football, and risk ending up in the Championship next season or do you want to stay in the Premier League and reach safety by grinding out results if necessary?”
Writing in his Daily Mirror column he explains that for him it’s a no brainer although says it’s never been harder for managers to please their clubs’ supporters.
He writes: “It seems staying up is no longer enough. You have to achieve safety with style. Keeping the fans happy with the right mix between results and artistic impression has become football’s hardest balancing act.”
Of Moyes he declares: “It didn’t work out for him at Manchester United, but the worst time to take over at Old Trafford was always going to be for the man who followed Sir Alex Ferguson.
Yes, the United job is one of the plum appointments in club football, but I admired Moyes for having the guts to take it on.
If there were question marks about his two signings, Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini, they have both proved decent acquisitions. Mata has been worth his weight in quality and Fellaini has won over a lot of the supporters.
Moyes was also brave enough to make his next stop in Spain. We often complain about the lack of British coaches who try to expand their horizons working abroad – at least Moyes was prepared to put his neck on the block at Real Sociedad.
And although he was the manager who took Sunderland down last season, that wasn’t down to one horrid campaign yielding just six wins in 38 games.
They had been dicing with relegation for years, and this time the Black Cats ran out of lives.
Look at the stream of good managers – from Martin O’Neill to Steve Bruce, Dick Advocaat and now Simon Grayson – who have been chewed up and spat out at the Stadium of Light.”
And whilst admitted his appointment at West Ham has not been afforded a rapturous welcome by the supporters he says: “I like the guy and I happen to think the Hammers have chosen well.”