League One boss Joey Barton suggests one man is to blame for the problems at West Ham this season and it’s not David Moyes.
Joey Barton has never been shy in voicing his opinion over the years and now he’s had his say on West Ham.
How often do we hear in football tales of assistant managers and coaches who made some managers great.
Carlos Queiroz was hailed as a major influence behind Man United’s success during his time alongside Sir Alex Ferguson.
And at West Ham Alan Irvine – and less so Stuart Pearce – were said to be absolutely key to the rapid progress at the London Stadium since David Moyes’ return.
Having the right, right-hand man is key
Both have departed over the last 18 months or so and many fans still point to the loss of Irvine – Moyes’ most trusted friend in football – as the start of West Ham’s problems.
Mark Warburton replaced Pearce in the summer. And Hammers News cast the spotlight on Warburton’s role as assistant coach against the backdrop of the team’s alarming slide.
The Hammers have gone from challenging for the top six and securing European football in consecutive seasons to battling for survival in the Premier League.
That’s despite spending £185m in the last two windows.
The buck almost always stops with the manager so Moyes has – understandably – taken the brunt of the blame.
League One boss Joey Barton suggests one man is to blame for the problems at West Ham this season and it’s not David Moyes
Speculation is swirling over Moyes’ future at West Ham beyond this summer.
Fans and pundits have been trying to put their finger on where it has all gone wrong for the east Londoners this term.
But one particularly opinionated former player turned manager believes he has the answer.
League One boss Barton suggests one man is to blame for the problems at West Ham this season and it’s not Moyes.
Barton, now manager of Bristol Rovers, fell out with West Ham assistant boss Warburton after he brought him to Rangers.
‘Look what’s happened since’
And now in an interview with The Scottish Sun, Barton revealed he is still bitter as he savaged Warburton and blamed him for West Ham’s nosedive.
“I can’t count myself successful as a Rangers player because I fell out with the manager there and wasn’t allowed enough time to prove myself,” Barton said.
“But look at what’s happened to Mark Warburton since we went our separate ways. It’s been a case of sacked, sacked, sacked. Now he’s a first-team coach at West Ham and look what’s happened to David Moyes since he arrived.
“But if the powers-that-be had got rid of Warburton and stuck by me, they would have won their 55th title a lot sooner than they did under Steven Gerrard. But Rangers made a bed for themselves with Warburton and they had to lie in it.”
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