Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Ugly survival or a pretty drop? I know which one I’d choose.. so Pulis has to stay
DAVID MOYES has been given a lukewarm reception by West Ham supporters and patience is wearing thin with Tony Pulis among West Brom’s fanbase.
But with both clubs slipping towards the quicksand, the equation should be simple.
Do you want to play pretty football, and risk ending up in the Championship – or do you want to stay in the
Premier League and by grinding out results if necessary?
It’s a no-brainer. But the clubs’ predicament shows it’s never been harder for managers to please supporters. It seems staying up is no longer enough. Teams have to do so with style.
Keeping fans happy with the right mix of results and artistic impression has become football’s hardest balancing act.
Moyes is probably in the lastchance saloon as far as managing a big Premier League club is concerned. Five years ago, he was one of the most coveted managers in British football and in his 11 years at Everton he probably overachieved.
It didn’t work out for him at Manchester United, but the worst time to take over there was always going to be as the immediate successor to Sir Alex Ferguson. Yes, it is one of the plum appointments in club football, but I admired Moyes for having the guts to take it on. And if there were questions about his two signings, Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini, they have proved decent acquisitions.
Mata has quality and Fellaini has won over a lot of the sceptics. Moyes was brave enough to make his next stop Spain. We often complain that few British coaches try to expand their horizons. At least Moyes was prepared to put his neck on the block at Real Sociedad.
And although he took Sunderland down last season, that wasn’t down to one horrid campaign yielding just six wins in 38 games. The Black Cats had been dicing with relegation for years, and their luck ran out. Look at the stream of good managers – Martin O’neill to Steve Bruce, Dick Advocaat and now Simon Grayson – chewed up and spat out at the Stadium of Light.
In terms of results Moyes’ career has been near-disastrous since he left Everton, but I like the guy and I think West Ham have chosen well.
When in the bottom three, it’s crazy to talk about playing the “West Ham way” – whatever that means. The only thing that matters, for now, is staying in the Premier League.
Moyes has the experience, the know-how and the bottle to save them from relegation.
In many ways off-form
West Brom now face the same dilemma as did the Hammers before they decided to part company with Slaven Bilic.
Do they stick with Tony Pulis, never relegated as a manager, or risk an alternative who preaches more attractive football?
The new man might take them down... or might keep them up and keep the fans happy.
I would never advocate sacking a manager as I’ve never done the job myself, but the stats make grim reading for Pulis – three wins in his last 22 games, four draws and 15 defeats.
His predecessor Alan Irvine won five, drew six and lost 11. And Bilic’s final 22 games? The same figures as Irvine.
That comparison alone suggest Pulis is on thin ice. But what do Baggies fans want? If it’s Premier League football, we know what it says on the tin with Pulis.
If it’s prettier football, with the risks attached, the heat would be on the man who sacks Pulis (right), should it lead to relegation and a £100million loss of income?
I know which one wins the argument every time – unless going to Barnsley on a cold Tuesday night in February floats your boat.
IT would be terribly cruel on Northern Ireland if a once-in-ageneration chance to play at the World Cup was taken away by a dreadful refereeing decision. No way was that a penalty at Windsor Park on Thursday night. Not in a million years. The tie is not over yet, but Michael O’neill’s side need a miracle to overcome the one-goal deficit in Switzerland tomorrow. DUST down those dancing shoes and polish your sequins – I’m making a comeback.
Yes, I’ve been called up to appear in Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas special.
And as my dancing partner Dianne Buswell is about to find out, my two left feet are as bad now as they were six years ago.