David Moyes was given the chance of a lifetime to manage Manchester United after his compatriot Sir Alex Ferguson departed, while he also enjoyed managerial stints at Everton, Sunderland and West Ham United – but which away stadium was the most daunting to visit?
Things were not too successful for the Scot at Old Trafford as he was the first manager of many to not emulate the exploits of Fergie. In 51 matches across all competitions, he amassed a points per game rate of 1.73.
A custom image of Antonio Conte, Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger Related
Ranking the 7 Best Managers to Have Been Relegated in Football History
Some of football's greatest managers have tasted the bitter disappointment of relegation.
Moyes, 61, enjoyed his crowning moment when West Ham reigned triumphant against Fiorentina in the 2022/23 Europa Conference League final but has been out of work since being sacked by east Londoners in the summer.
Recently, the one-time Charity Shield winner spoke to Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on their ‘Rest is Football’ podcast to run through all things football from his career aspirations to the troublesome-yet-explainable question of ‘How to get results?’.
The three footballing icons were asked, by an avid listener in the live audience, why they think teams perform a lot better in front of a home crowd rather than when they travel up and down the country on their away travels.
Lineker shared his envy of players nowadays who play on ‘beautiful’ pitches week in week out before Moyes, who has been linked with a return to West Ham amid uncertainty over Julen Lopetegui’s security, named Anfield as one of the scariest places to visit as a manager in the Premier League.
“I’ve found, for example, I’ve always hating playing at Anfield because the crowd make such a difference. And I think there can be some stadiums [that have that effect].
Alongside the stomping ground on the red side of Merseyside and much to the delight of Shearer, the Glasgow-born chief admitted to fearing his visits to Newcastle United's St James’ Park, which has been noted as one of the most atmospheric grounds in British football because of the Magpies' 'incredible atmosphere'.
“I actually think Newcastle’s St James Park is another one. I think Newcastle have got an incredible atmosphere there. I do think the crowd can play a huge difference.”
Watch Moyes' full comments below: