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Premier League side West Ham United will appoint David Moyes on an initial six-month contract and hand him the responsibility of "hauling the club away from relegation danger after finally losing faith" in Slaven Bilić’s ability to reverse the team’s decline, according to Jacob Steinberg of the London GUARDIAN. West Ham hopes the former Sunderland manager can attend training on Tuesday with Alan Irvine, Chris Woods and possibly Stuart Pearce "joining him as part of his backroom staff." Moyes will be "offered a fresh two-year deal if he keeps West Ham in the Premier League." Club Owners David Gold and David Sullivan released a statement explaining that they "felt compelled to act in the club's best interests," and added that they plan to appoint "a quality manager." That manager is Moyes, even though news of the 54-year-old’s arrival on an interim basis has been "met with opposition from supporters." Moyes will have time over the int'l break to prepare for his first game, at Watford on Nov. 19, and he "will be given a chance to earn a lengthier stay at West Ham" by leading it to safety (
GUARDIAN, 11/6). The BBC reported speaking to reporters as he left West Ham's training ground, Bilić -- who was appointed in the summer of '15 -- said, "There are no hard feelings. I can be very proud of my work here. We didn't start this crucial season well. As in many clubs across Europe, the manager is the one who pays the price. It's a very logical move." With 11 league matches played, he is the fourth Premier League manager to leave his job this season following Frank de Boer (Crystal Palace), Ronald Koeman (Everton) and Craig Shakespeare (Leicester City) (
BBC, 11/6).
