Call it the return of the saint and you may not be far from the truth as David Moyes returned with his West Ham side to Old Trafford to face his former team, Manchester United in the FA Cup clash.
The Hammers manager, lasted just 51 matches in charge at Old Trafford, believes he was never given enough time to make his mark after replacing the great Alex Ferguson
The banner displayed at Old Trafford by Manchester United fans after David Moyes had been appointed manager on the recommendation of predecessor Alex Ferguson, who retired from football after 26 years in charge of the Red Devils.
An empty Old Trafford may be a kinder arena than a full one for visiting teams. But for David Moyes, it will always be inhabited by noisy ghosts.
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Moyes, who takes his West Ham to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Tuesday, was once upon a time serenaded by a 1.5m image of his face, next to the words “The Chosen One” on a banner stretched across the Stretford End. No trip to the workplace where he held his biggest job can ever feel routine.
Moyes was United’s manager for 51 matches, up until April 2014, fewer than any United boss – caretakers apart – since the early 1930s. It still preys on him that so little of his six-year contract, signed when he was identified as the successor to Alex Ferguson, was honoured.
The return of Moyes to East London, on an 18-month deal from December 2018, was an admission by West Ham that his rigour, his clarity about the right balance of a side and his intimate knowledge of the Premier League – where he first managed, at Everton, nearly 19 years ago – were better suited to the club than had been acknowledged.
He came back and again performed his firefighter role, lifting the club clear of the threat of relegation last season.