Richard Keys takes fresh swipe at West Ham United after events with Everton
Everton secured three crucial three points against Crystal Palace at the weekend, yet it was West Ham who received a dig from Richard Keys as a result of that.
Both Everton and West Ham have had troubled seasons, with both outfits sacking their manager after it appeared they were heading for a relegation battle.
The Toffees opted to appoint David Moyes, while West Ham selected Graham Potter as their desired replacement for Julen Lopetegui.
Moyes was in fact mooted for a return to the London Stadium but that failed to materialise, and it seemed as though West Ham got the best side of the deal with the appointment of Potter.
However, in the eyes of Richard Keys, things are very different.
West Ham receive sly dig from Richard Keys
Whether a return to West Ham for Moyes would have ended well or not, considerations can only be made in hindsight, but that hasn’t stopped Keys from taking a dig at the Irons.
Writing via his blog (17 February), Keys said: “Well done the Moyesiah at Everton. In no time at all he’s got the Toffees higher in the league than both West Ham and [Manchester] United – two clubs that sacked him.”
It’s hard to take anything away from the job Moyes has done on Merseyside, but there is nothing to suggest it would have been replicated at the London Stadium a third time around.
The reality is that some clubs are tailor-made for managers, and if they fail somewhere, it isn’t always a reflection on that team or the manager.
West Ham will be keen to see more from Potter with plenty of improvements to be made, while Everton fans will be thinking they got the best side of the deal when it came to his appointment.
Improvements needed under Graham Potter at West Ham
There have been some promising signs since Potter took charge, but the harsh reality is that the Irons have won just one of their six games under his stewardship.
Football is a results-orientated business, and unless they start to flow, the euphoria of change will start to wear off sooner rather than later.
This season is effectively a write-off for the Hammers. They have nothing left to play for, but the main focus has to be on preparing for the next campaign, where success in some form will be a necessity.