David Moyes has spoken out after being linked with returns to both West Ham and Everton amid their difficult starts to the season.
Before the 4-1 win over Ipswich, Julen Lopetegui was a man under serious early pressure at West Ham.
In many respects it was always going to be difficult for Lopetegui to hit the ground running as David Moyes’ successor in east London.
After nearly five years of major progress, Moyes was always going to be a tough act to follow at West Ham.
It is a story Everton know well too and Sean Dyche is the latest finding that out for himself.
Moyes has been out of work since leaving the Hammers in the summer.
Before he departed the London Stadium, Moyes actually left the door open on a potential third spell with the club in the future.
The Hammers and Toffees have endured such underwhelming starts to the new campaign that the Scot has indeed been linked with a quicker return to Premier League management than any had anticipated.
Moyes linked with Everton and West Ham returns
When West Ham opted for Manuel Pellegrini over Moyes after his first spell in east London, David Sullivan had to swallow his pride to pick up the phone and bring him back.
So the prospect of a Moyes return to West Ham is perhaps not as far-fetched as it seems.
After the game at Brentford 11 days ago, noise around Lopetegui’s position ramped right up. There were even claims Moyes could return.
Rumours have also been gathering pace that Everton could be ready to try and bring Moyes back to Merseyside.
The Moyes speculation has not gone down well with many Everton fans despite their reservations over Dyche.
And many West Ham fans feel Lopetegui needs much more time before being judged.
Fabrizio Romano recently claimed a Moyes return to West Ham is not on the cards.
“Despite West Ham’s struggles and talk of a possible return for David Moyes as manager, I have zero information on this – zero confirmation, nothing at all,” Romano said.
Now the man himself has spoken.
And Moyes has made a big statement on his future after the Everton and West Ham claims.
Moyes makes big statement on his future after links
The Scot admits he has received a number of interesting job offers from clubs and countries.
But not only has he rejected them, he’s mot sure whether he will even return to management at all.
“We’ll see how things go in the future but at the moment, I’m really cool, just taking a bit of time off,” Moyes told talkSPORT.
“I don’t know yet, I don’t know (if I will return to management).
“I’ve not made that decision yet and I don’t want to make that decision. I just want to see how it goes.
“I’ve had some really nice enquiries from clubs and countries as well at different times, but I’m just taking my time and we’ll see how it goes.”
It would be fascinating to know which clubs those were.
It was widely expected Moyes would be back in the game around Christmas time when some clubs change managers in a bid to try and rescue aisling seasons.
But it now sounds like the former West Ham and Everton hero may never return.
David Moyes at Everton
Moyes managed Everton from March 2002 until May 2013, overseeing a transformative period for the club that is unmatched since.
During his tenure, he led the Toffees in 518 matches, securing 218 wins, 139 draws, and 161 losses. Everton also scored 724 goals under Moyes, maintaining a consistent presence in the top half of the Premier League, including a fourth place finish in 2004-05.
That earned them a spot in the Champions League qualifiers but it was short-lived as they were dumped out 4-2 by Villarreal.
David Moyes at West Ham
Moyes’ managerial record at West Ham, across two spells, includes some significant achievements. By the end Moyes managed 221 Premier League games as West Ham boss, winning 82, drawing 57, and losing 82 matches. His time at the club also saw 311 goals scored.
Moyes’ most notable success obviously came in his second spell, where he led West Ham to a sixth and seventh place finish in consecutive seasons, securing European qualification. His crowning achievement was winning the UEFA Europa Conference League ;ast summer, West Ham’s first major trophy in 43 years.
The Hammers also recorded their record ever Premier League points total under the Scot along with three consecutive European campaigns for the first time in the club’s 129-year history.