Sunderland’s chief executive insists Moyes’ job is safe but Bilic feels the blame should not be attached to him anyway.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has come out in support of embattled Sunderland boss David Moyes, claiming that the Black Cats dismal start to the season is not his fault, the Chronicle report.
Patience already appears to be wearing thin amongst supporters on Wearside with Sunderland winless in their first eight Premier League games under the former Manchester United coach.
Consequently, the club’s chief executive, Martin Bain, was forced to issue a public statement on Thursday to quell speculation that Moyes’ job was on the line after a number of leading bookmakers slashed the odds on him being sacked at the Stadium of Light.
And Bilic, who has endured a testing start to the campaign himself, believes the fact that the perennial strugglers Sunderland once again find themselves at the bottom of the table is not Moyes’ doing.
“It’s a difficult job,” the Croatian, who led West Ham to their second-best Premier League finish of seventh last season, told the Chronicle ahead of West Ham’s clash with Sunderland at the London Stadium on Saturday.
“Of course, [Moyes] is a terrific manager and he has done a terrific job long-term at Everton , and now he has difficulties with Sunderland.
“But he’s not the first one who has that experience with Sunderland recently. It’s nothing new for them. Is it down to him? No.”
Many Sunderland fans may well disagree, with the majority of Moyes’ additions, including Papy Djilobodji (below) and Didier N’Dong, looking destined to join the club’s long line of expensive duds.
Meanwhile, his incoherent gameplan and tendency to shift the blame has grown increasingly jarring in recent weeks with the club showing no signs of improvement despite the Scot’s claims to the contrary.
Then again, Moyes would not be the first respected manager to have his reputation battered on Wearside, with Dick Advocaat and Gus Poyet also failing to lead the club to a single victory in August or September, something the club has not managed in four years.
This suggests that the problem may well run even deeper than Moyes’ tactical deficiencies.
As Poyet claimed to The Guardian recently; “There’s something inside Sunderland, something at its very core.
“It’s hard to explain but there’s a way of life, something deep down, that makes it difficult to fulfil its potential.”
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