David Moyes has admitted his deep regret over two West Ham departures but is happy with new man who brings ‘something different’.
There have been – and will continue to be – plenty of comings and goings at West Ham this summer.
But two in particular that Hammers fans perhaps didn’t expect was the departure of Stuart Pearce and arrival of Mark Warburton.
Pearce told West Ham’s official website he decided “now is the right time to step away and pursue other opportunities and challenges” when leaving the club this summer.
It came after Moyes lost one of his closest and most trusted allies in football when the highly-respected Alan Irvine stepped down as the Scot’s assistant the summer before.
Warburton’s appointment came completely out of left field. And the former Rangers, QPR, Nottingham Forest and Brentford boss clearly wanted a different challenge for himself after agreeing to become Moyes’ assistant despite – presumably – having a raft of opportunities to manage in his own right elsewhere.
Make no bones about it, the appointment of Warburton is very impressive from West Ham.
Anyone who has had the pleasure of listening to the former Rangers boss talk about the game will see very quickly this is a man who knows his football.
Now Moyes has opened up on losing Irvine and Pearce and bringing in Warburton when speaking on the club’s official website.
Moyes admits his deep regret over the two West Ham departures but is happy with new man Warburton who brings ‘something different’.
“I’m pleased to have Mark,” Pearce told whufc.com.
“I mean, I’m sad that I lost Stuart Pearce and I was really sad when I lost Alan Irvine. I’ve had two really good guys, incredibly loyal, great people to work with and also their knowledge and their experience was great for me.
“I wanted similar somebody who I felt was similar and Mark comes with great experience. He’s managed a lot of really big clubs and obviously he became out of work so after Pearcey told me he was leaving, I thought ‘well, I’m going have to look around to see what I think would be good for us’.
“And because of my staff, I want to piece in someone who adds value to it as well, someone who can bring something else and I think his understanding of having been a recent manager working in the Championship, knowing a lot about the Championship as well, will be helpful.
“But for him as well it will be step up where we’re competing at the top of the Premier League and aiming to stay there, so he’s taking a little bit of time to settle in, standing back and watching what we’re doing, getting to know the players and getting to know how we work.”
If Warburton helps West Ham continue the kind of progress they have been making with Irvine and Pearce as Moyes’ assistant then he’ll be doing a fine job indeed.
MORE WEST HAM NEWS
West Ham now have an edge for three big targets including Sarr and BBD.
New claim from agent of West Ham target tells very different story over move.
Astonishing graphic shows West Ham are signing one of the best around.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
