#2 Can Moyes lead Sunderland to something better than relegation run-ins?
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The Chosen One is back. In the midst of this mélange of elite managers, it is easy to forget there is great quality in the managers of the lesser lights of the League. The likes of Aitor Karanka, Walter Mazzari, Marc Hughes and David Moyes in the Premier League, in addition to two Champions League winning managers plying their trade in the second-tier of English football, the Championship, surely must be enough to confirm the status of England as the most challenging place in world football.
Losing battle-hardened and relegation run-in expert Sam Allardyce to the FA just a few weeks before the new season would have been a tough pill for Sunderland, but they moved quickly to establish Moyes as his successor. Moyes had a great period with Everton, before lackluster spells with Manchester United and Real Sociedad.
He kept his team in the game despite conceding early, and after 60 minutes brought on Adnan Januzaj and Wahbi Khazri to seek an equalizer, and was duly rewarded with one. As City brought on an extra attacker in search of a winner, he wisely brought on an extra defender to try and shut out the game. Unfortunately, the substitute conceded an own goal and Sunderland left with no points.
He has built on the team he has inherited and has great young talent in Joel Asoro, Lynden Gooch, Paddy McNair, Donald Love and Adnan Januzaj. A decent defence comprising the likes of Jan Kirchoff, Lamine Kone, Younes Kaboul and Patrick van Aanholt is coupled with a body of Premier League experience in the form of Jermain Defoe, Fabio Borini, John O’Shea and Lee Cattermole. The foundations are in place and Moyes should steer Sunderland to better things for the sake of the club, fans and his career.
