David Moyes weighs up West Ham future with Jurgen Klopp's decision in mind
David Moyes has always been relaxed about his contracts but the Scot's claim that he is the one stalling on the deal offered by West Ham's board is a new twist.
Moyes has repeatedly said he is in no rush to sign and is still joking that the media spend more time thinking about his future than him.
Except the shifting mood among supporters and a miserable start to 2024 in which they are yet to win has fuelled calls for change from the stands.
It would be easy, then, to think Moyes’ assertion he is the one playing wait and see is laying the foundation to say he is walking rather than being pushed towards the exit in May. There are, he said, “plenty of reasons” to wait but perhaps he is simply re-evaluating whether it is time for a break.
Moyes, 60, last week became the Premier League's oldest manager following Roy Hodgson's departure from Crystal Palace. And with Jurgen Klopp citing burnout behind his decision to leave Liverpool, it was notable to hear the West Ham boss say he will consult with his family before deciding.
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“Management has always been demanding but there are different elements that have come into football more than in the past,” Moyes said. “I’ll make a decision when I’m ready when we're all ready together. You always know when you have got to the stage where you need to change but at the moment let's see.”
The job is not as straightforward as it once was. Winning matches is just one part of a role that sees managers act as spokesmen, deal with more complicated club structures in an era of celebrity recruitment chiefs and also worry about balance sheets.
He added: “There’s an awful lot more now for managers to consider compared to the past. There’s a different generation coming in who may look at things in a different way.
“There’s obviously a different level to the past. Much more media, for example, than what I was used to before. Many more games than before, more competitions if you’re good enough to be in them. There’s many other implications. Financial fair play for managers to be aware of. Lots more items.”
West Ham fans make their feelings known to David Moyes during last week's defeat to Nottingham Forest (Rob Newell - CameraSport/Getty Images)While West Ham’s form has been dire since the new year, Moyes hopes drawing Freiburg in the Europa League last-16 can refocus minds and he insists questions around his future are having no impact on the players.
Facing a Brentford team they have not beaten in the Premier League tomorrow is not ideal as the pressure ramps up, but Moyes again felt the need to underline he has led the Hammers to “one of the best places they have been for a long time.”
He added: "I don't want to keep saying it because it sounds like I'm having to defend it but the facts are there. There is a level where West Ham can go and we need to find out where that is but a manager's job is to raise expectations - and I think that's what we've done.”
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