Former England and Barcelona striker Gary Lineker has said that West Ham United’s owners have been proved right for sticking with manager David Moyes this season.
On Sunday, a 1-0 win for the Hammers over Manchester United at the London Stadium saw them move seven points clear of the Premier League’s relegation, with just three league matches remaining this season, although four of the five teams below them have four matches left to seal survival.
The win saw West Ham climb to 37 points, a tally which has enough to guarantee Premier League survival in ten of the last 11 seasons.
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In what has been a mixed campaign for Moyes, on multiple occasions this season, it has been reported that he was one defeat away from losing his job, but winning must-win clashes against the likes of Everton, Nottingham Forest and Fulham helped keep his job and avoid the sack.
West Ham and Nottingham Forest are the only two clubs in the bottom half of the table not to have changed managers this season and ex-England star Lineker has praised West Ham’s board for sticking with Moyes, who has guided them to survival.
Other examples of clubs sticking with their managers has seen Arsenal stick with Mikel Arteta long-term and turn them into title contenders, having initially struggled with them in the Premier League.
Speaking after the win over the Red Devils, Lineker was quick to praise West Ham’s owners on social media.
“Great win for @WestHam,” Lineker tweeted. “Interesting that another team that stuck with their manager has reaped the rewards.”
Those comments were echoed by Moyes in his post-match interview on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday evening.
As the final whistle blew, Moyes was quick to turn around and show his appreciation towards where the director’s box in the stadium was.
Moyes said that at times in the season, West Ham could have easily sacked him, but was delighted to prove why they were right to stick by him.
“It was. I want to be respectful to Manchester United, a club which I’ve managed, so I’ve got great respect for them,” Moyes told BBC’s Match of the Day 2 .
“But it was more, I felt like sort of clapping my own owners because there was times this year which they could’ve made a change and things might have gone against them.
“I felt like applauding them for how well they worked to stick with me.”
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