Tony Cottee Interview: West Ham Must Look Close To Home For Moyes Replacement

In an exclusive interview with LuckyBlock.com, ex-West Ham striker Tony Cottee pleaded with his former club to tempt Gary O’Neil away from Wolves as David Moyes’ replacement. 

• Next West Ham manager must be British 
• Board should get Gary O’Neil from Wolves
• Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna other contenders

Tony Cottee: “In an ideal world [he would be] a British manager with West Ham experience and someone who knows what the Premier League is about. I think it’s important. I don’t think you can learn on the job at West Ham.

“I would like it to be someone with a West Ham connection, which leads me nicely into someone like Gary O’Neil. I know he’s at Wolves; I accept that. He’d be hard to get now. Michael Carrick, again, West Ham experience, at Middlesbrough. Kieran McKenna’s done a great job at Ipswich, another British manager.”

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Moyes Replacement Must Not Be Foreign Rookie 

With David Moyes likely to exit the club at the end of the season, speculation over West Ham’s next manager is reaching fever pitch;

Tony Cottee: “The first time he [David Moyes] came back, he saved the club from relegation. Then our dear old board thought that Manuel Pellegrini would be a good appointment. He was absolutely hopeless, and then what do we do? Bring back Moyes. My biggest fear is that West Ham are going to let Moyes go; they’ll appoint someone that we’ve never heard of, who has no Premier League experience. Six months into it, they sack him, and everybody will be saying, ‘Bring back David Moyes’.”

Board Caused Instability – Moyes Deserved Long Contract

Cottee believes Moyes deserves more respect from the board and should have been handed a four-year contract;

Tony Cottee: “I think it’s totally unfair. It’s all a lot of speculation. You read about West Ham flying managers in and I think that’s complete nonsense. I think it’s unfair on the current manager. The Palace game was a nightmare, wasn’t it? That’s what comes from instability. Players sense that. I think the moment West Ham won the Conference League, they should have given Moyes a four-year contract. I do not blame Moyes in any of this; I blame the board. It’s the board’s fault.”