David Moyes

[Shogun]

Coming across as a complete Moyes apologist now but we were 1-0 up in an FA Cup final that we lurched into with injuries several key players (peak Arteta, peak Jagielka, Yakubu, etc.).

Doesn’t get much closer than that. We were right fucking there and I might’ve been able to compete with Chelsea for the full 90’ had we had Jags and Arteta, who played the best football of their careers that season (Jags/Lescott partnership, Arteta moving back to the middle and bossing it).

His conservatism let him down on numerous occasions after 2008-9 but he pushed a boulder up a hill to build a squad THAT good. Finishing 5th with Yobo, Yakubu, Arteta, and Anichebe (who was actually finding some form before Kevin Nolan stood on him with two legs) all sustaining bad injuries in the first half of the season was more of an accomplishment than he gets credit for.

Honorable mention for Sebastien Frey summoning superpowers to deny us the chance at the UEFA Cup when we absolutely battered Fiorentina at Goodison. Maybe he would’ve bottled it had we gone on, I just think he hit some horrible luck as the team was peaking from 2007-9 and he was never able to recover all the pieces because we never had any real money.

Get your points but I still don't think that's particularly close. Considering how often we managed to finish in the top 6 of the league then I'd expect a bit more than 1 final appearance. Even after that there was only 1 other SF FA Cup appearance and we only made the League Cup SF once.

We should have beat Fiorentina but even then it was only a R16 match (or maybe QF? I can't remember). Martinez was a joker and I think even he made a couple of SFs in 3 seasons here.

It's not a lot to show for the team we had and I do think a big part of that is the mentality he instilled into the squad.

[Audrey Horne]

Was a QF the F game.

[Bob Sacamano]

Do we think his mindset will have changed now he’s landed a trophy?

[Kerryblueboy]

If it’s him so be it but when will we get our reset moment when a guy comes in the door changes everything and makes us one of the top 6/7 teams again

[UnsyisaRhino]

If it’s him so be it but when will we get our reset moment when a guy comes in the door changes everything and makes us one of the top 6/7 teams again

I don't think he'll be with us more than this and next year if they have real ambition to change things.

[Gash]

The final boot in the bollocks that year was Zenit who barely got out the group we comfortably won beating Rangers in the final wasn't it?

[TheRam]

What he did here is completely irrelevant.

It was a different game back then.

I personally think we’re hiring yet another manager who’s behind the curve but think he’ll probably improve us just enough to stay up.

I certainly don’t think he’s going to move us forward and don’t think even midtable mediocrity is a guarantee with this version of David Moyes but we’ll see.

Feel very meh about the whole thing but he’s probably the best we can get at the moment now potter is off the table.

[Robioto]

The final boot in the bollocks that year was Zenit who barely got out the group we comfortably won beating Rangers in the final wasn't it?

Yeah, Arshavin was immense for them. We then had the whole summer being linked with him before he pissed off to Arsenal.

[Gash]

I think he's another of those where if he'd done his 10-11 years at the likes of Villa or Spurs then had the career he's had afterwards no one would really be in favour, it's only the fact he did it here that people are on board with it.

I can see the reasons I suppose but it's a beige as fuck appointment and not without risk, although any appointment at this stage with this squad is going to be a risk but I don't think it's what either the fans or TFG saw as their ideal replacement for Dyche.

[Bluebridge]

Id describe it more like getting back with your misses who you were happily married to and then separated after she cheated on you 10 years ago, shes subsequently been hawked around the Village for the next 10 years, is now a bit haggered and well passed, but it'll do as your lonely and desperate!!

Hat’s off to you for giving it another go, hope it works out this time.

[AllyBlue14]

Hat’s off to you for giving it another go, hope it works out this time.

I can understand why she left 10 years ago!

[kramer]

Get your points but I still don't think that's particularly close. Considering how often we managed to finish in the top 6 of the league then I'd expect a bit more than 1 final appearance. Even after that there was only 1 other SF FA Cup appearance and we only made the League Cup SF once.

We should have beat Fiorentina but even then it was only a R16 match (or maybe QF? I can't remember). Martinez was a joker and I think even he made a couple of SFs in 3 seasons here.

It's not a lot to show for the team we had and I do think a big part of that is the mentality he instilled into the squad.

I know it was Round of 16, still looked menacing in that competition though.

It’s a bit reductive to label Martinez as a complete joker. I think some of us haven given him that label because of his fundamental inconsistency as a coach. He used to speak in grandiose terms about his footballing philosophy but he was actually quite bad at instilling his philosophy in the team or having long-term plans for what types of players he wanted to add to realize it. What he was actually good at was watching tons of football, noticing small details about other teams, and exploiting them via one-off game plans. I don’t think his knockout prowess was entirely luck, although he did need (and get) some of it. He completely clears Moyes as a cup manager, no debate needed.

Of course, when you throw in poor oversight of fitness and nutrition, falling in love with players for silly, superficial reasons (the eye test is very biased in the wrong hands), and completely punting set pieces (which should be catnip for someone so good at noticing the fine details of the game), he was a terrible club manager. But, to his credit, he’s milked the fuck out of the bit he does well.

[NickNack]

Giving him a 2 year deal, letting players be signed, intending to bin him off after 6 months all sounds very Moshiri to me, total waste of money. As long as there’s progress give whoever it is the length of their contract unless they bomb like Dyche did.

[StirlingBlue]

What he did here is completely irrelevant.

It was a different game back then.

This is it in a nutshell for me.

Forget any romanticism about us and just look at the recent modern game.

In the last four seasons with West Ham he had them sixth, seventh, fourteenth and ninth whilst adding a European trophy - with the squad they had I’d say that was probably above expectations so he’s shown he can get performances in the modern game.

Importantly for me, that West Ham side wasn’t particularly blessed with pace either so it’s not like our squad can’t fit his desired style.

Safe appointment which should keep us up but barring serious backing his bar would be about tenth over the next three seasons IMO

[HANNU]

If it’s him so be it but when will we get our reset moment when a guy comes in the door changes everything and makes us one of the top 6/7 teams again

Moyes did that