Moyes’ point to prove after Wearside fiasco

WEST HAM BOSS ADMITS CATS JOB WAS A MISTAKE

DAVID Moyes says Sunderland is the only managerial job he has not enjoyed, and he has acknowledged it was a mistake moving to the Stadium of Light in the summer of 2016.

The Scot – now back in management having been appointed the new manager of West Ham United – admits his time on Wearside has left him with a point to prove.

Moyes inherited a side Sam Allardyce saved from relegation, only to leave to become England manager. With the club’s debts becoming an increasing problem, he failed to make the most of what was available to him, and the club finished bottom of the Premier League.

Moyes was not sacked, but resigned at the end of the season, feeling the budget he was promised would not be sufficient to make a success of 2017-18. His replacement, Simon Grayson, was sacked last week after one win in 15 Championship games, and the side are now bottom of the table.

“It’s only been the last job where I feel it wasn’t a good move and I didn’t enjoy the experience,” Moyes told West Ham’s official website. “So I’m hungry to make sure I get things right now.

“I don’t know any manager who isn’t going to go through negative periods, especially now.”

Moyes’ reputation is in the balance after underwhelming in his last three jobs. He has always been a manager who has taken time to have an impact, and he got it in his first two jobs, at Preston and Everton, where the League Managers Association voted him their manager of the year three times.

But Manchester United sacked him less than a season into a seven-year contract after he inherited a championship-winning squad and failed to qualify for the Champions League. He lasted a year with Sociedad.

Moyes was dealt a bad hand at the Stadium of Light and he was under the impression he would have more to spend than he did, particularly in January, by which time owner Ellis Short had made it known he was looking to sell the club.

With mid-season investment desperately needed to stave off relegation, Moyes instead turned a profit. A couple of months later Sunderland revealed their debt had reached £110.4m.

But Moyes did not help himself by making it too obvious he regretted taking the job. The season was two matches old when he said the Cats would be involved in another relegation battle. He was right, but it was not the rallying cry supporters needed.

He did not spend what little money he had well, quickly losing faith with his most expensive buy, £13m midfielder Didier Ndong, and signing a slew of his former players now past their best. Some are still draining the wage bill.

Interestingly, it had been expected that Phil Neville, who started his coaching career under Moyes at Everton, would be his assistant at West Ham.

But on Sunday Neville said he wanted to be a manager, not an assistant, and it is thought he is interested in the Sunderland job.