Premier League managers are in “a whirlpool” and should count themselves fortunate if they avoid getting spat out at some stage, says West Ham boss David Moyes.
The final whistle had only just blown on his side’s crucial 1-0 win over Southampton at London Stadium when Moyes was told Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers had become the 12th Premier League manager to lose his job this season.
A few hours later Graham Potter became the 13th top-flight managerial casualty of the campaign when he was dismissed by Chelsea.
Moyes has been under huge pressure himself at various points during a disappointing domestic campaign at London Stadium.
While owner David Sullivan has remained supportive, defeat by the Saints — who have sacked Ralph Hassenhuttl and his replacement Nathan Jones this season — would have sent West Ham to the bottom of the table and brought even more scrutiny on Moyes.
“We are in a whirlpool,” the Scot said. “It is happening more now. There is a lot of money at stake to be a Premier League club, and it is a big thing for clubs to go down.
“In the life of a football manager, there can always be bad times. You are very fortunate if you are one of those managers who only has good times and are winning all the time.”
Nayef Aguerd’s first-half header was enough for West Ham to pick up three precious points, which moved them up from 19th to 14th, leaving Southampton at the bottom of the table, having played more games than the teams immediately above them.
Leicester are just above Saints but, despite their plight, Moyes does not feel Rodgers will be out of work for long.
“I am really disappointed for Brendan,” he said. “He is a super manager and a really good coach. He won’t be out of a job long when you look at his record, the teams he has had, how they play and the way he has worked.”
Moyes feels his relationship with Sullivan and the work he has done over the previous two seasons, when West Ham finished sixth and seventh in successive campaigns, is the main reason they are one of only two clubs — Nottingham Forest are the other — in the bottom half of the table to not sack their manager this season.
With a Europa Conference League quarter-final against Belgian side Genk to come, it could still be a season to remember for West Ham, providing they preserve their top-flight status.
For Southampton, survival is the only target. Their position is not a good one. They already know it would take a mathematical improbability to get out of the bottom three next weekend, even if they beat Manchester City.
However, with most of the clubs above them playing twice before Saints take on Pep Guardiola’s men, the situation could be a whole lot worse.
“We have been in a complicated situation for the whole year,” said Southampton boss Ruben Selles.
“I am not going to focus on relegation or the table. I know the other teams are playing and they can win or lose but I can’t affect that at all. I am going to focus on the things I can control.”
