The former Everton midfielder has urged West Ham United’s owners to relinquish more control to Moyes.
West Ham United manager David Moyes has responded to comments made about his situation by former player Steven Pienaar on Wednesday.
Pienaar, who has announced his retirement from professional football, played arguably his best football under Moyes at Everton and reunited with the Scot at Sunderland last season.
Moyes has since hauled West Ham away from the bottom three, although the 13th-placed Hammers are not yet clear of danger.
And speaking to the Daily Mail, Pienaar urged West Ham’s owners to relinquish more control to Moyes – whom he believes can mimic his Everton achievements and build a top-end side at the London Stadium.
“The signs are they can build for the future as long as the club allows him control to do things his way,” said the South African. “David has his moments as a man-manager, he can lose it, but he is a straight talker. He is honest with you and if you work for him, he’ll work for you.
“We played good attacking football at Everton and I can see similarities with West Ham. It’s a good club but the owners have to let him build it his way. Then they can challenge at the right end of the table.”
And in an interview with Talksport on Thursday morning, Moyes admitted that he would like to have more responsibility.
“I think that all managers at most clubs want to be able to make the decisions, which they will be judged on and I’m no different,” he said. “The clubs I’ve worked at I’ve worked for some great chairmen: Bryan Gray at Preston North End; Sir Philip Carter, Bill Kenwright at Everton, who’ve always given me a chance to do exactly what I think I need to do.
“So I think if you give the managers that chance it’s up to them to do it, if that comes around for me then great.”
Moyes led Everton to nine top-half finishes in 11 seasons on Merseyside, but has yet to manage any club throughout a full campaign since then.
The 54-year-old has managed Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland in that time, with each of those spells ending within a year.
Should West Ham take Pienaar’s advice?
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