David Ornstein responds to David Moyes sack suggestion amid West Ham United speculation
David Ornstein has said that David Moyes is not under any “abnormal pressure” at West Ham United, despite rumours of him facing the sack.
The Scotsman guided the Hammers through an excellent start to the campaign, but results have tailed off in recent weeks with various reports suggesting that he could well face the chop at the London Stadium [Claret & Hugh, 30 October].
While every manager in the Premier League is under some form of pressure, Ornstein doesn’t believe that Moyes will once again calm the situation in East London, as he has done multiple times across his tenure with the Irons.
Writing in his weekly Athletic Q&A (9 November) he said: “I don’t know of any abnormal pressure. Every time you hear this sort of thing, Moyes wins some games to calm the situation. They have some appealing fixtures coming up so that could define the direction of travel one way or the other.
“He is a top manager, a European trophy winner and – in my opinion – deserves more respect. He has reportedly been a defeat away from the sack on multiple occasions and come up with results each time.
“He is, though, out of contract next summer, so there’s a big decision coming up for the West Ham hierarchy.”
Hangs in the balance
Ornstein is right that whenever Moyes has faced this sort of pressure in the past, the Scotsman has found a way to navigate it and keep his job intact. Last season he dealt with the calls for his head and ultimately delivered West Ham a European title.
Whether or not you believe that he deserves more respect from supporters as Ornstein has suggested, he has undoubtedly improved West Ham during his tenure at the London Stadium and has always stood up to the task at hand.
However, a “big decision” has to be made in the summer as to whether or not the Hammers look to extend his stay with the club and that decision could come down to results in the coming weeks and months domestically and in Europe.
It doesn’t seem as though any immediate action will be taken by those in charge at West Ham and there is unlikely to be a new face in the dugout on the other side of the November international break. It now comes down to whether or not Moyes is once again to turn the tide as he has done in the past.
In other West Ham news, one source has shared a one-word reply to the suggestion that Moyes could be sacked by the Hammers