Sean Fisher

Tue 20 December 2022 20:10, UK

West Ham manager David Moyes was delighted to see Gareth Southgate stay on as England boss after his World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Southgate’s England side reached the quarter-finals of the Qatar tournament this month before being beaten 2-1 by France.

Immediately after the loss, Southgate refused to confirm or deny if he’d be continuing his managerial journey with England. But after some deliberation, the 52-year-old announced that he’ll remain in charge of the Three Lions.

Moyes was delighted to see Southgate stay on as England boss, and was full of praise for his colleague in his latest column for The Times.

“I thought England had a really good tournament. They played so well. Their quarter-final with France was a toss of a coin,” wrote Moyes.

“Football often comes down to incredibly fine margins — little details with giant consequences. A game can turn on one small factor, leading to fallouts, debate and people losing jobs.

“I’m glad after a campaign with so many positives that Gareth Southgate is staying on. He continues to do a superb job.”

Spotlight back on Moyes

After a long winter break for the World Cup, attention now turns back to the Premier League, where West Ham currently sit 16th just one point above the relegation zone.

Moyes was under huge pressure before the break after suffering three consecutive league defeats, and the break came just in time for him to relieve some of the stress and noise around his job.

But with the Premier League returning in less than a week’s time, the Scotsman is back under the spotlight once again.

To make matters worse, his league return comes against league-leading Arsenal in north London. West Ham’s record against the Gunners makes for sorry reading, with their latest win at The Emirates coming back in 2015.

A fourth consecutive loss would immediately see the pressure piled back on Moyes. Forget Southgate staying on, the Hammers boss needs to be looking out for himself at the moment.