West Ham United boss David Moyes in ‘divisive figure’ verdict after league milestone
West Ham boss David Moyes “must be applauded” after reaching 900 league games as a manager, according to BBC Sport journalist Michael Beardmore.
The Hammers boss marked the record with a 2-0 win against newly promoted Sheffield United on Saturday (30 September).
Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek both scored first-half goals in the Premier League victory at the London Stadium, which leaves the club seventh after seven matches.
“Hammers boss Moyes passed 25 years in management back in January, having made his debut in the dugout with Preston in 1998,” Beardmore wrote for BBC Sport.
“And while he has been an occasionally divisive figure among supporters at some clubs – not least his current one – that longevity must be applauded, particularly in the modern era.
“In a game where boardroom patience levels and managerial reigns are shorter than ever, the Hammers are only Moyes’ sixth club in that quarter-century span, which could be regarded as a telling statistic in itself.”
Legend
Not all Premier League fans would agree, but Moyes is a legend of the competition, both for his longevity and his achievements.
Having remained at Everton for so long, the Scot is now in East London, looking to forge further memories with the Hammers after their stunning European success last time out.
It won’t be easy to create similar success this time around given how the club have made the step up from the Europa Conference League to the Europa League.
But one certainty is that Moyes and his team will give it a good go, with the Hammers starting the campaign well with an opening game win over Backa Topola.
They will definitely take inspiration from the victory against Fiorentina in the Conference League final, but Moyes also needs to focus on the Premier League, in order to avoid a relegation battle like last season.
The East London outfit did, of course, stay in the division, but there was a time when they looked like heading for the drop.
In other West Ham news, a Sky Sports journalist was wowed by a “classy” Hammers player in their win against Sheffield United.