It is the David Moyes derby as West Ham head to Everton next but the Scot won’t be happy with the Premier League for the big reunion.
There was has been no lack of irony since David Moyes and West Ham parted company.
The Hammers were told to ‘be careful what they wish for’ by all and sundry when deciding to go in a different direction from Moyes.
West Ham fans justifiably pointed out the lack of top clubs queueing up to hire the Scot when he left the London Stadium.
The call eventually came from his old Everton.
That was a direct result of the Toffees missing out on their prime target Graham Potter to the Hammers.
Moyes is loved and respected by most at West Ham for the job he did in east London.
But many Hammers supporters wanted change having grown fed up of the style of play and approach.
What they did not want was Julen Lopetegui as his replacement.
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Dubbed ‘a Spanish Moyes’ by West Ham fans, Lopetegui became the shortest-serving permanent manager in the club’s 130-year history.
A day after Potter was appointed his successor at West Ham, Moyes was unveiled by Everton.
He wasted little time giving the ‘careful what you wish for’ brigade fresh ammunition.
West Ham have been hearing a lot of ‘told you so’ as Moyes made an amazing instant impact on his return to Goodison Park.
Potter’s start by contrast has been underwhelming.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Moyes will be fuming at Premier League decision for West Ham
Indeed Potter has blamed Lopetegui for West Ham’s mess after the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.
He also apologised to fans that he is not getting the desired improvement as quickly as some might have hoped.
Given that Everton wanted Potter and Moyes’ history with the Hammers, it should make for a feisty encounter with plenty of pride at stake.
So Moyes will be fuming at a Premier League decision for his West Ham reunion just weeks after a controversial incident.
Last month referee Darren Bond was heavily criticised for failing to award a clear penalty to Everton in a game against Leicester.
Bond’s failure to award the Toffees a spot kick was even slammed on Match of the Day.
The official would likely have felt the wrath of Moyes had his side not gone on to comfortably dispatch with the Foxes.
Well now Bond has been named the referee once again for Everton, just a few weeks on.
Strangely, Bond has never actually taken charge of a West Ham match.
That will change as he is the man in the middle on Saturday, assisted by Dan Robathan and Marc Perry.
To rub salt in the wound for Everton, the news gets even worse.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Choice of officials will not amuse Moyes for West Ham reunion
Because referee Chris Kavanagh has been put in charge of VAR for the game against West Ham.
Toffees fans will need no reminder of Kavanagh’s reputation when it comes to their club.
A couple of years ago Everton were reported to be ‘absolutely incandescent’ over a number of refereeing decisions that have gone against in matches officiated by referee Kavanagh.
Everton even wrote to the Premier League to demand, at the very least, an apology over what they deemed serious errors in his games.
The Goodison Park outfit highlighted at least three highly contestable decisions made against them by Kavanagh, as reported by Sky Sports at the time.
Any Everton concern over the Premier League’s choice of officials may be offset by West Ham’s own history with Greater Manchester-born ref Kavanagh.
Because it is mostly negative.
Kavanagh has been involved in some very controversial decisions when officiating West Ham matches in the past.
Moyes was apoplectic with Kavanagh after the Hammers were denied a late penalty against Liverpool at the London Stadium way back in the 2022/23 season, when Thiago blatantly handled the ball inside his own box – as reported on Sky Sports at the time.
There were other major mistakes from Kavanagh when Moyes was Hammers boss too.
The official refused to award West Ham a spot-kick at Anfield after Jarrod Bowen was clearly brought down inside the penalty area at the start of last season.
Then back in 2021, he ludicrously sent off Fabian Balbuena in a defeat at home to Chelsea.