‘OLD-SCHOOL’ MOYES AND DYCHE SHOW THEY’RE STILL TOP IN CLASS

THEY would not thank you for it – in fact, quite rightly, they would probably be offended.

But David Moyes and Sean Dyche (below) are proof there is life in the old school yet.

Again, they would rail against the suggestion, but Thursday night was throwback night.

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, West Ham’s welldrilled, highly-motivated team ground out a win against THE flavour-of-the-season side.

While, at Goodison Park, Dyche’s men gave their latest impression of the David Moyes-era Dogs of War against the expensive Saudi accessory. Ange Postecoglou and Eddie Howe – two poster boys for the current version of the Premier League – were suitably chastened. But no one should be surprised. Moyes is becoming the managerial statesman of the Premier League, seen it all and done it all with more than 1,000 club games managed across all levels of football.

A slightly more relaxed figure, but still one with a burning passion, as he demonstrated in those celebrations at the end of Thursday night’s triumph over Spurs. It should be a regret among those who were in executive power at Old Trafford at the time that Moyes was not given a year in charge of Manchester United when he had the toughest gig of all... the immediate successor to Sir Alex Ferguson.

As those who follow Moyes into the United job continue to fail, despite having more backing than the former Everton manager got, the more his dismissal before the end of his one and only season seems like a mistake.

As for Dyche, he joked about making the banner which refers to his Dogs of War, but there is no doubt that he is recreating that mentality at Goodison Park and at the club’s Finch Farm training ground.

To characterise Moyes and Dyche as merely old school would be doing them a terrible disservice.

But if their philosophies are fundamentally rooted in a non-negotiable demand for hard work, unstinting commitment and, perhaps most importantly, humility, then there is nothing wrong with that.

By the way, neither West Ham nor Everton play unattractive football. If the Premier league had not bludgeoned the Blues with that 10-point hammer, they’d be starting today’s match against Chelsea’s one point ahead of Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

And in the expected goals charts, Everton sit 10th. West

Ham, meanwhile, are punching above their weight in goals terms, outscoring all below them in the table and one of the clubs, Manchester United, above them.

This afternoon, Moyes takes on Marco Silva, while Dyche pits his wits against Pochettino, the £10million-a-year highlyacclaimed Chelsea coach.

At Southampton and Spurs, Pochettino proved himself an inspirational leader and an astute, forward-thinking tactician.

But, on the evidence of this season, would Everton fans take Poch instead of Dyche. No, absolutely not. Because what is great about the Premier League is the utterly diverse type of characters in the 20 coaching hot-seats.

And, in Moyes and Dyche, we have two of the best.

The more Moyes’ dismissal at United, before the end of his one season, seems a mistake