Moyes must keep his feet on the grind

DAVID MOYES said in his pre-match conference that he wanted assurances from the Hammers board about their ambitions.

“For most of my seasons I’ve been competing at the top six or eight,” said Moyes. “I need to see if West Ham are going to get there.”

The Scot has certainly done it before. He achieved that target at Everton and in his only season at Old Trafford. Hard to believe but, if events had worked out differently, the Chosen One would still be at Manchester United after signing a six-year deal in May 2013.

Instead his managerial career has taken him to East London via Real Sociedad and Sunderland.

Moyes, who took over in November, has done what he was asked to do: keep West Ham up. He has also brought back discipline. But he is a pragmatic Glaswegian, not a lover of sexy football in the West Ham tradition.

After Marko Arnautovic (below), the only entertainment at the London Stadium this season has been counting the pitch invasions. Grinding out points like last night is what he does. The Irons board, who have long had a crush on Rafa Benitez, know that giving him the job permanently will be close to a guarantee of top-flight football. In exchange, Moyes wants control of transfers and damaging leaks plugged.

If the Scot does not stay, it will be interesting to see where he goes. Leicester maybe. Or he could take the summer off and wait for another fire-fighting job.

But where else will he have the chance of finishing seventh?

AIMING HIGH Ambitious West Ham boss David Moyes