West Ham United: Anton Ferdinand responds as David Moyes sack mooted at London Stadium
Anton Ferdinand has reiterated that David Moyes has earned the right to decide himself when he wants to leave West Ham.
The Scotsman is due to be out of contract at London Stadium in the summer, but he recently revealed he has been offered fresh terms.
The issue of Moyes’ future is one that has split the fanbase, but former United defender Ferdinand is hugely grateful for what he has achieved.
Asked on the Vibe with Five podcast [13 March, 28m 46s] if he would be disappointed if Moyes was sacked, or departed, Ferdinand said: “I’ve always said Moyes should be able to leave on his own accord.
“He’s one of three managers in our history to have brought a trophy to us. I sit here lucky as a West Ham fan that I’ve been able to see it happen.
“Lots of fans there for years, watching when I played, are no longer here and didn’t see us win a trophy.
“So for me he leaves on his own accord. If that’s this summer, shake his hand and thank him.
“A lot of people misinterpretate the West Ham way. I get it from a history point of view, with Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, we want the ball on the floor to play football, but when I played, the West Ham way was to work hard, be more aggressive than everyone else.
“Since Moyes has been here, we’ve been very successful without playing the best football. But it’s been effective because we’ve been aggressive and on the front foot. If we do that we’re a match for anyone. Fact.”
David Moyes deliberating over West Ham United future
Those who want Moyes gone – or at least the vast majority of them – justify themselves by arguing they want to see a better style of football.
And in truth, that is fair enough. At the same time, others will say that success trumps style every day of the week.
Ferdinand is right in what he says, though. Any manager who wins a trophy for West Ham deserves the right to bow out on their own terms.
Had this contract been on the table and signed at the end of December, on the back of wins over Manchester United and Arsenal. not many would have been unhappy.
Given the inconsistent nature of results since then, however, the dynamic has shifted somewhat.
Whichever decision Moyes takes – to sign the new contract or not – hopefully a decision is made one way or another very soon.
In other West Ham news, the Irons have been labelled an “utter disgrace” by a former professional over a decision they took this week.
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