For whatever reason, David Moyes’ dismal season at Sunderland has not put West Ham off handing the Scot a contract.
It’s fair to say David Moyes did not leap from a sinking Sunderland ship with many goodwill messages from the club’s beleaguered fanbase.
The story of how Moyes dragged the Black Cats into the Championship is well known by now – but it’s worth remembering the key details.
Almost immediately after arriving, the sour-faced Scot declared that Sunderland were mired in a relegation fight despite a fantastic second half of the previous season under Sam Allardyce which suggested that more than survival was possible.
By the end of the season, Sunderland’s decade-long stay in the Premier League was over. They finished bottom, 16 points adrift of safety, and Moyes’ managerial reputation was justifiably in tatters.
Though Moyes, a man who still believes he was harshly sacked at Manchester United, appears certain that outside factors, possibly a lack of funds or a poor squad, was the main reason for Sunderland’s relegation – rather than his own decisions and sub-par tactics.
“I didn’t do enough due diligence before taking the Sunderland job,” Moyes, who was stunningly appointed by West Ham on Monday, said in quotes reported by The Chronicle. “I made a poor choice in the club I chose.”
Sunderland fans too would probably have wished that Moyes, in the summer of 2016, had turned down the offer to take over on Wearside.
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