Moyes sacking was act of mercy - and God help his successor

Inheriting an ageing squad and not enough cash, David Moyes had been handed a poisoned chalice

Former Manchester United manager David Moyes
(Image credit: 2014 AFP)

WATCHING David Moyes in the dug-out these past few weeks has been agony. One could see deep into his psyche.

I am not up to the demands of this job, I’m drowning, the defeated look on his face proclaimed as loudly as if he had worn the message round his neck. Even from the distant safety of the sitting room, the viewer was almost compelled to look away. Who but a sadist wants to see an about-to-be condemned man’s anguish in the final moments of his trial? It was an act of mercy to sack him.

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Robert Chesshyre writes regularly on police culture and is a former US correspondent of The Observer. His books include ‘The Force: Inside the Police’ and 'When the Iron Lady Ruled Britain''.