The Scot’s hopes of a winning start in his 500th Premier League game as a manager were dashed by goals in either half from Will Hughes and Richarlison that left his new club in the bottom three and the size of the task facing him even clearer.

For the hosts, it was another energetic and clinical performance that highlighted why coach Marco Silva is coveted by Everton.

Moyes, appointed as Slaven Bilic’s successor on 7 November, can feel aggrieved at an unpunished handball in the build-up to Richarlison’s strike, and lost £25m striker Marko Arnautovic with a suspected broken thumb in the second half.

He will have to build on an improved second-half spell by the Hammers, who were spectacularly denied by Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes.

Moyes, 54, said: “I always thought this was a big job. Some big players with big reputations disappointed me a lot.

“I thought they would show me more. They need to show me why they have got that reputation.

“I don’t enjoy the performance and I expected us to do better. We tried to stay in the game and give ourselves a chance – and we probably did – but overall it was not good enough.”

It was an impressive return to winning ways for the Hornets, whose early-season momentum had stalled with defeats in their previous three games, and the victory moves them up a place to eighth in the table.

Hughes, the 22-year-old £8m summer signing from Derby County, scored with his first attempt on goal in the top flight, latching on to Andre Gray’s scuffed effort and smashing it past Joe Hart.

The England goalkeeper was also beaten by Richarlison, who was a constant threat but did well to stop Adrian Mariappa’s header to deny Watford a third after an hour.

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Source: BBC Sport

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Negotiations for the 54-year-old former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland boss to take over from the sacked Slaven Bilic progressed smoothly on Monday.

The Scot will sign a two-and-a-half-year contract which contains a break clause at the end of the season.

Bilic left the club on Monday with the side in the Premier League relegation zone.

It is anticipated Moyes will take training for the first time later on Tuesday.

Former England and West Ham defender Stuart Pearce is thought to be lined up to join the backroom team.

Goalkeeping coach Chris Woods, the only member of Bilic’s coaching staff not to leave on Monday, will be reunited with Moyes after spending time working with the Scot at Everton and United.

Moyes resigned as manager of Sunderland in May after their relegation to the Championship.

His first game in charge of West Ham will be at Watford on 19 November.

Joint chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold had said Bilic’s departure was the opportunity for a manager to “inject fresh ideas, organisation and enthusiasm into a very talented squad”.

The Croat’s final game was Saturday’s 4-1 defeat by Liverpool at London Stadium.

What does Moyes face at West Ham?

The Hammers are 18th, having won just two Premier League matches in 2017-18 – and lost their first three league games of the campaign.

Bilic spent a reported £42m on players in the summer – including forward Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City for a club record £20m and former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen for £16m.

But West Ham have taken just nine points from 11 league matches, conceding 23 goals.

Following the Watford match, West Ham host Leicester City and go to Everton, before a difficult run in December which brings league games against leaders Manchester City, last season’s champions Chelsea and Arsenal.

Later in the month, the Hammers travel to face the Gunners in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

What will Moyes bring to the Hammers?

Moyes, who started his managerial career at Preston North End, was voted LMA Manager of the Year three times during an 11-year spell at Everton from 2002 to 2013. In 11 full seasons, the Toffees finished in the top eight nine times.

He succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United boss on his fellow Scot’s recommendation when he retired after a trophy-laden 26 years in charge at Old Trafford.

But despite signing a six-year deal with the then Premier League champions in 2013, he was sacked 10 months later with United seventh in the table.

Moyes went on to manage Real Sociedad in Spain but was sacked by the La Liga club after a year in charge in November 2015.

He took over at Sunderland in July 2016 before quitting in May 2017 after the Blacks Cats were relegated, having finished bottom of the Premier League.

Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton told BBC Radio 5 live that Moyes was “the safe option if you’re thinking about grinding out until the end of the season and safety”.

But he added: “As a player, David Moyes coming in wouldn’t inspire me.”

During his Black Cats reign, Moyes also attracted controversy for telling BBC reporter Vicki Sparks she might “get a slap” in March, leading to a Football Association charge for improper conduct and a £30,000 fine.

He said he “deeply regrets” making the comment and later apologised to Sparks, who did not make a complaint.

What do the fans say?

Graeme Howlett, editor of the West Ham fans’ website Knees Up Mother Brown

The fans seem quite unanimous in that they are not particularly keen to see Moyes come in. They would prefer to see someone more progressive.

I suspect there will be an awful lot of criticism for the board, who are already under intense pressure following the move to the Olympic Stadium, which has not gone down well.

Various reasons have been mentioned, including his record at Sunderland, where he came in at a similar position and failed to keep them in the Premier League. There was also the incident with the female reporter which has been mentioned a few times.

Micky Noble: If West Ham want a credible manager Moyes is not the man. They need an established boss who will steady the ship… #PardewIn

Lee Cooke: If I was the West Ham owners, I’d move heaven and earth to get Harry Redknapp back in charge! Would galvanise that team.

Phillip Barlow: We want someone who will improve and motivate this group of players. Whether it’s Roberto Mancini or Terry Westley, we don’t care.

Daniel Quick‏: As a non-West Ham fan, feel like Moyes is not the right option. Koeman would be great for West Ham, shouldn’t be judged on last three months.

Joseph Mirza‏: People forget the good job Moyes did at Everton and just think about United, Sunderland was an impossible job.

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Source: BBC

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The Scot was sacked by United in 2014 – less than a season after being chosen to replace club legend Sir Alex Ferguson.

He said the club had “tended to pick British managers” and never felt the need to impose themselves in the transfer market.

“I can say that’s gone,” added Moyes.

“There have been a few changes at Manchester United but that’s the way they have chosen to go.”

United have spent £480m since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after 26 years as manager.

They broke their club record in January 2014 by signing midfielder Juan Mata from Chelsea for £37.1m – a deal done under Moyes, and spent a British record £59.7m on Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria later that year, after Dutchman Louis van Gaal took over.

In August this year, they gave new boss Jose Mourinho a world record £89m to sign midfielder Paul Pogba from Juventus.

“They were a football club who enjoyed traditions with the way they spent,” said Moyes, who returns to Old Trafford as a manager on Boxing Day, with relegation-threatened Sunderland, for the first time since he was sacked.

“They didn’t try to compete with all the other clubs. They did what they thought was the right thing to do and spent the right way.

“Maybe that has had to change because of the current situation. [But] Sir Alex [Ferguson] went out and bought wisely and correctly in the transfer market and what he thought he needed to do.”

Moyes repeated a claim that he was “definitely unfairly treated” by not being given enough time and also confirmed that the club missed out on a number of major transfers during his short tenure – including Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale, Madrid team-mate Toni Kroos and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

“When I first went in my real target was Gareth Bale,” said Moyes. “I felt all along that Gareth Bale was a Manchester United player.

“I fought right until the last minute. We actually offered a bigger deal than Real Madrid. But Gareth had his mind made up on going to Real Madrid. That was, in my mind, the player I really wanted to bring to Manchester United.

“The other one was Cesc Fabregas, who we thought we would get right up until the last minute.

“I remember when I first met Sir Alex and he always said there was a chance Ronaldo might come back.

“So that was the level we were targeting. I was not going out to bring in seven, eight players, because we had a squad which had just won the league.

“Toni Kroos was agreed to come in the summer. I had agreed it with Toni himself and his agent. Sometimes you don’t get deals done. Gareth Bale, we were probably behind all along, Real Madrid were well in for it.

“The Cesc one was disappointing. It was very close. And Toni Kroos came up in January – it was done.

“A lot of players come into Manchester United and have not necessarily made the difference. But I think that, given time and having got to this period, I would have hoped I would be working with a successful team now.”

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Source: BBC

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