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Is David Moyes the man to revive Sunderland?

David Moyes, here in his Manchester United days, looks likely to lead Sunderland into the Championship. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
Roar Guru
3rd November, 2016
11

The current situation at Sunderland is certainly less than ideal. The Black Cats have failed to win a Premier League match this season and occupy the bottom of the table with two points from ten games.

A 4-1 loss to Arsenal last week condemned Sunderland to the record books in the process for all the wrong reasons.

Sunderland now holds the record for making the worst start to a league campaign from the opening ten games – a record previously held by Manchester City in the 1995-6 season. The early performances have some pundits already questioning if David Moyes is the right man to lead Sunderland out of trouble.

It certainly has to be acknowledged the Sunderland squad is a weak one that many experts would concede is a side that would be battling relegation regardless of whether David Moyes was in charge. Flirting with relegation is nothing new for the Wearside club with Premier League finishes of 17th, 14th, 16th and 17th in the last four seasons.

There is still an expectation however that the manager will instil a certain level of performance that gives the team a fighting chance of competing and remaining in the top flight. This currently appears non-existent at Sunderland.

With upcoming fixtures against Bournemouth and Hull it is paramount some points begin to be picked up or the natives will be demanding immediate change. Owner Ellis Short is also believed to be running out of patience with current results.

David Moyes must be secretly thinking where did it all go wrong? At Everton the Scot generally had the Toffees hovering around European qualification. Those that question whether David Moyes can turn things around he will point to his record at the Toffees where he had Everton playing as a competitive unit that consistently finished in the top half of the table with limited resources.

Many felt the Sunderland job would present similar challenges and Moyes was well equipped to handle them.

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The more recent history is what the naysayers will point to as evidence that David Moyes maybe out of his depth. Moyes has been sacked from his last two managerial posts at Manchester United and Real Sociedad.

Whoever took over from Sir Alex Ferguson was going to have a difficult time. Moyes initially signed a long-term contract but was sacked after only ten months in charge, the third shortest managerial stint in Manchester United’s history. It was always a risky appointment, Manchester United with a long tradition of success and winning trophies. David Moyes had not won a single trophy during his Everton tenure.

The Moyes reign at United saw some unwanted history created. West Brom, Newcastle and Everton picked up their first wins at Old Trafford in over 20 years. Stoke also enjoyed their first victory over United in 30 years.

The move to Spain and Real Sociedad was the chance for Moyes to rebuild his reputation. Unfortunately a year after taking the role he was sacked. A winning percentage of 28.57 per cent from 42 games was the lowest of his managerial career to date.

The move to Sunderland was another chance for David Moyes to start rebuilding his brand that has taken a massive hit. Recent history suggests that Sunderland managers have not enjoyed long tenures in charge.

Before Sam Allardyce left to take the England national role Sunderland have had a revolving door in the last five years with Martin O’Neil, Pablo Di Canio, Gus Poyet and Dick Advocaat all having stints in charge. Peter Reid between 1995-2002 was the last time a Sunderland manager was in charge for more than three seasons.

David Moyes is believed to be unhappy with the squad he inherited and a lack of recruitment is believed to be a major issue. Most would agree with him but in a results-driven business, zero wins from ten is damning regardless.

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Will David Moyes be given time to turn things around at the Stadium of Light or is he looking down the barrel of being sacked from his third consecutive club?

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