Chris Wilder pays tribute to West Ham boss David Moyes ahead of Irons v Sheff Utd
Chris Wilder claims David Moyes has “done a spectacular job at West Ham” ahead of Sheffield United’s trip to the London Stadium on Monday.
The Hammers have their focus set on moving up to fourth place in the Premier League as a win versus the Blades will see them go above Chelsea and Liverpool into the Champions League qualification spots. Chelsea kick-off against Newcastle so, for a couple of hours at least, the Irons could sit in the top-four.
Wilder, on the other hand, will be hoping that his Sheffield United side can move themselves off the foot of the Premier League table by winning away in East London.
The Yorkshire club have won just 11 points in their opening 23 matches but are now two points behind 19th-placed West Brom.
Both teams have a lot to play for on Monday and it’s unlikely there’ll be anything left on the field of play once 90 minutes are up.
However, ahead of the match, Blades boss Wilder has issued a glowing verdict of West Ham manager Moyes for the job he’s done in the capital and the jobs he had before.
“For David to have had the career he has had, I have nothing but admiration,” said Wilder, as quoted by the Irish Independent. “He’s done a spectacular job at West Ham.
“He is a three-time winner of the LMA Manager of the Year which is voted for by fellow managers who understand the game, the business and the industry.
“What he did at Preston, Everton, having the opportunity to manage one of the biggest clubs in the world, working abroad in Spain, and then coming back into the Premier League and still doing it now, shows he has had a fabulous career. It is one that I am very envious of and have admiration for.”
Moyes gets a tough time from a lot of football fans, pundits and journalists but all you have to do is look at his work at Everton and West Ham to understand he’s a good manager.
People seem to associate Moyes with the so-called ‘dinosaurs’ of the game like Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce but that really isn’t true.
Would a so-called ‘dinosaur’ sign flair players like Said Benrahma, Jesse Lingard of Jarrod Bowen? Would a so-called ‘dinosaur’ sign an attack-minded right-back like Vladimir Coufal?
Yes, players like Tomas Soucek and Craig Dawson buy into the idea that Moyes likes a team to be responsible at the back but with the way the Hammers conceded goals under Manuel Pellegrini, the issue needed addressing.
Moyes has not only improved the defence, he’s improved the attack by leaps and bounds too with West Ham playing very good, free-flowing football when they’re on the front-foot, using their wide players to either get crosses into the box or cut inside.
At full-flight, West Ham are a joy to watch and that is largely down to Moyes.
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