Things could have been so different if David Moyes had taken over at Nottingham Forest, the Saints or the Owls.
David Moyes has admitted that he could have taken over at Nottingham Forest, Southampton or Sheffield Wednesday earlier in his career, while speaking to Coaches’ Voice.
Moyes’ reputation might have been left in tatters after taking Manchester United from first to seventh in less than 12 months, not to mention failing to stop a downward spiral that resulted in Sunderland’s rapid decline, but it should not be forgotten that he was once arguably the most promising British manager around.
The straight-talking Scot transformed Everton from mid-table also-rans into genuine European contenders over 11 years at Goodison Park, qualifying for the Champions League in 2005 while turning Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta, Yakubu and co into genuine top flight stars.
But it could have been oh so different had Moyes not turned down the chance to move elsewhere when his reputation started to grow.
“I met Southampton and I met Nottingham Forest. There were other (clubs) at the time that were interested,” said the 56-year-old.
“I met Sheffield Wednesday and thought, ‘should I, shouldn’t I?’. I remember I phoned Sir Alex (Ferguson) and asked if I could see him. Sir Alex was so knowledgeable. He went through all the players and said to me ‘no David, I don’t think it’s that good a job’.”
Moyes has been out of work since saving West Ham from relegation in 2018 and, like Alan Pardew, Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis, it seems that a supposed old-school style and a far from thrilling brand of football has left him tainted in the modern era.
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