Alan Curbishley has expressed sympathy for David Moyes and warned West Ham fans to “be careful what you wish for” after some demanded he be fired.
Curbishley understands the difficulties that come with being West Ham’s manager better than anyone, having led the club through “the great escape.”
As a former manager, he believes that Moyes’ ability to keep the club up twice after joining in the middle of the season, and then lead the Hammers to their first major trophy since 1980, should be more than enough to keep him in charge.
“He’s done a fantastic job,” he said, according to GB News. “There have been two occasions when he has had to go in there and save them from relegation.” He’s guided them to the top seven, the top half of the table on a regular basis, and he’s now a European Cup winner, among other things.”
Former West Ham midfielder and manager David Moyes finds it “hard to fathom” that some fans are calling for Moyes to be fired. “I do understand the West Ham fans,” he said, “they do talk about possession-based football, because everyone’s talking about that now and West Ham don’t normally dominate possession.”
“But when you start considering possession, it’s mainly in the back four anyway, passing around between the keeper and the back for it’s not in attacking situations,” he said, adding that the supporters of East London “should be careful what you wish for.”
Unsurprisingly, there has been much speculation about the Scotsman’s future, with it unknown whether he will be offered another contract after his current one expires next summer, or even if he would accept it. In any case, it appears that the club will stick with him for the rest of the season.
Despite his belief that the club should stick with Moyes, the 66-year-old did consider the possibility that the club is attempting to advance to the next level now that they have “established the stadium.”
“It’s grown into a massive club now.” Perhaps the level of expectation is more than just the results.”
When asked about the pressures of being a manager today, Curbishley was quick to admit that it is much more difficult than it was in 2008. “I just think that with more and more mobile phones, you might not even be able to go out for a meal.” As a manager, you may fear going out or may not have gone out for a month or so as a result of the outcome.”
“Don’t get me wrong: the rewards are great right now. “Especially in the Premier League,” Alan concluded. “But you have to accept that. Because it’s so much more high profile, it’s probably a lot more [pressured] than it was when I was managing.”
Recently, Moyes has been very open about the impact that seeing “Moyes out” banners had on him last season, which may be something that is not discussed enough in football: the impact of the fans on the manager.
Whatever your thoughts on his football, David Moyes has given us fans memories we will never forget, etching his name into East London’s history, and it’s easy to see why Curbishley is eager to defend his position as an ex-manager. If this is Moyes’ final season in charge of West Ham, let’s hope he goes out on a high and is remembered fondly by those in Claret and Blue.
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