West Ham United manager David Moyes said on Tuesday that his Manchester United counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is building an exciting team having been given time on the job— something the Scot felt he was not afforded at Old Trafford.
Moyes, who replaced long-term United manager Alex Ferguson in 2013, was dismissed after only 10 months in charge but the 57-year-old said he was looking forward to returning to his former side for Wednesday’s clash.
“Ole had a difficult start, but the difference between Ole and me is that he’s being given time. He’s bringing players in from the academy, which United have always stood for,” Moyes told a news conference.
“They have got really exciting young players of their own now... It’s a wonderful club and a brilliant place to be, and the biggest club in the world, for me. It’s always a special place to go and I’m looking forward to going back.”
Solskjaer’s United were on an unbeaten run of 19 matches in all competitions before losing to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday.
West Ham have won their last two league games, scoring seven goals to climb to 16th on 37 points, with two rounds remaining and Premier League survival in sight. “The maths tell us the job isn’t done yet, so we’ve got to prepare and ensure we’re ready for the next game and take the three points if we can,” Moyes said.
“We’ve not changed our approach. We’ve trained every day and prepared hard because we want to get better, not just for this season but for the future.”
Moyes said Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek, who joined on loan from Slavia Prague in January, was part of his future plans. “He’s a West Ham player, simple as that,” Moyes said.
