He Wouldn't Would He? Moyes & Lingard

News that struggling Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest are keen to offload Jesse Lingard and cancel his contract in January has been greeted with joy and FEAR by the Hammers faithful, joy that his time at the City ground has been such a disaster as it was rightly or wrongly viewed that he only went there for the money and absolute FEAR or terror that Moyes might finally get his man in what might be one of his final acts as a manager of WesT Ham United!

Moyes' affection for Lingard is well documented so he was gutted when Lingard chased the filthy lucre instead of rejoining West Ham which should have been a 'shoe in' situation following his incredibly successful spell at the club while on loan from Manchester's 2nd club. Obviously things didn't work out how Moyes and many fans had hoped for, however the silver lining was that the board pushed the boat out to get Pacman instead!

Lucas Pacqueta operates on a different footballing planet to Lingard and should Moyes and the club part company The Pacman will feel entirely confident with whichever manager is chosen to take the club forward because there is a general feeling that while David Sullivan is all for backing his manager that the next majority shareholder Daniel Kretinsky while 'liking' Moyes is not adverse to a managerial change with ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel his preferred choice as well as Brentford's Thomas Frank.

Sullivan's endorsement did have smackings of the old "The board are right behind the manager" statements usually released just ahead of their sacking! Perhaps the World Cup break will see exactly that happen, maybe David Moyes is best suited to rescuing a club in crisis and operating on a miniscule transfer budget?

What is obvious is that with the players he now has at his disposal, even Moyes will know that the team's league form has dropped off the cliff over the last twelve months and as such he really can't expect to be given too much time, even the Moysiah 'Moysie'! Not known for pulling the trigger too fast, David Sullivan might just to be experiencing what it is like to operate a fellow investor who has nous and clout in equal order.

Moyes has done brilliantly well for the club ad if the footballing gods had smiled on a few more occasions this season perhaps this discussion would be academic, but as things stand Moyes is skating on the thinnest of ice and since Ralph Hassenthull's sacking by Southampto finds himself at the top of the list no Premier League manager wants to be, the 'Sack Race'! - Ed