Moyes’ greate better comed

We all talk up our abilities when touting for jobs. Self promotion and self confidence are useful traits when trying to impress prospective employers.

Self delusion is an entirely different matter.

The trick is not to talk yourself up too much and discharge claptrap of such magnitude as to be worthy of prominent display on the side of a bus.

Several former Sunderland managers of recent times have had a go.

There was: “I was only sacked because I’m a Geordie.”

Then there was “I didn’t really have final say on signing half-a-squad’s worth of utter rubbish, or fall out with people for no reason. It was all another bloke’s fault.”

You can’t hold it against them. We live in a strange era when “facts” such as the above can be disproved in about eight seconds; yet no whopper is too big to be believed. So why shouldn’t they join in with the global shower of twaddle if it suits them?

Which brings us to David Moyes’ comments over the weekend.

Unfeeling detractors have mentioned that leading West Ham United to 13th last season – two places below where they finished the season before – does not perhaps place him in football’s Pantheon.

Others think it unfair to judge him solely on the mediocrity he brought to West Ham, when there is also the breathtaking ineptitude he showed at Sunderland to consider.

For an even more rounded opinion, there is the lousy job he did at both Manchester United and Sociedad to take into account too.

Still, at least he can joke about it.