"I hope they give the manager time" - Former Manchester United manager makes claim about current boss Erik ten Hag

David Moyes has urged Manchester United to be patient with Erik ten Hag and give him more time at the club.

Moyes himself experienced the pressure that comes with taking up the helm at Old Trafford first-hand. He was appointed as Sir Alex Ferguson's replacement in the summer of 2013 but was sacked in April 2014 — just 51 games into his tenure in Manchester.

Since Ferguson's departure, the Red Devils have changed managers several times but none of them have been able to help the club compete for titles on a regular basis. Ten Hag was appointed before the start of the 2022-23 season and the club saw an upturn in form in his debut campaign.

They finished third in the Premier League to return to the UEFA Champions League and won the EFL Cup in February. It was their second-highest points total in the post-Ferguson era and they also finished as the runners-up to Manchester City in the FA Cup.

The second season, however, has been a step backward. Speaking ahead of West Ham's league clash against Manchester United on Saturday (23 December) at the London Stadium, Moyes said (h/t @centredevils):

"I don’t want to make too many comments about [Manchester United], but I hope they give the manager time to get everything in place that he wants to do, and give him every opportunity to be successful."

The Red Devils are currently sixth in the Premier League with 28 points from 17 matches, trailing league leaders Arsenal by 11 points. They were also dumped out of the Champions League after finishing fourth in their group which consisted of Bayern Munich, Galatasaray, and Copenhagen.

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What happened in the West Ham United vs Manchester United fixture last year?

The two teams faced each other at the London Stadium in the Premier League in May last season. Manchester United were then, of course, in a tight race for the top four with Liverpool and Newcastle United.

However, the Hammers prevailed, with Said Benrahma scoring the only goal of the game. His tame right-footed shot was met with a weak hand from David de Gea, who let the ball find the back of the net.

Before that game, the Red Devils had won both their matches against the Hammers that season. Marcus Rashford scored the only goal of the game at Old Trafford in November before the Red Devils beat West Ham 3-1 on their way to the FA Cup final. West Ham have beaten Manchester United just once in the league since September 2019.