David Moyes’ courage in attempting to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United has earned him great admiration from Erik ten Hag, according to the Dutch coach, writes the M.E.N.
In 2013, the now 60-year-old Scot took over the challenging task of succeeding the legendary manager at Old Trafford. However, he was dismissed with four games remaining in his debut season, as qualifying for the Champions League became impossible. Although Moyes’ tenure at the club is regarded as a stain on his otherwise impressive managerial record, his achievements in two stints with West Ham have helped him restore his reputation.
With the task of keeping West Ham in the Premier League this season, Moyes is now confronted with another daunting challenge, and Ten Hag was asked whether he was pleased not to be in the Scot’s position of replacing Ferguson ahead of their match against United. The Ajax manager responded by saying that succeeding Sir Alex is an immense challenge and an incredibly difficult job to take on, so it’s hypothetical and uncertain whether he would have taken it.
Ten Hag told reporters: “It is hypothetical, so you never know, but it is quite clear that when you have to succeed Sir Alex, that is a big challenge and a really difficult job to do. He did it and had the bravery to do it, that is why I admire him. He is also that long in the job already with many clubs in the Premier League. He is a great manager with a lot of skills. I know my team has to be at their best on Sunday, and we have to play our maximum if we want to get the result we need, which is a win.”