Wednesday 3 May 2017 16:53, UK
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic and Sunderland boss David Moyes have claims for another year in charge of their clubs, say the Premier League Daily panel.
Bilic's future at West Ham will be under review at the end of the season despite having three years left on his current deal, Sky Sports News HQ understands, while Moyes' position in charge of already-relegated Sunderland remains in doubt after talks with the club's hierarchy.
However, former Tottenham Hotspur manager Gerry Francis and ex-Manchester United and Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley have made cases for both bosses to keep their seats, highlighting issues out of their control as key factors in West Ham and Sunderland's poor seasons.
"Moving ground was a major problem for West Ham," Francis told Premier League Daily, when addressing the issues Bilic has faced. "Upton Park had been their home, it was a place where teams didn't like to go.
"We've got the much more expansive London Stadium now, 50-60,000 people, that puts pressure on the players in terms of the results. They've had player problems, Andy Carroll has had another in and out season, so I think there was a load of problems.
"If he [Bilic] finishes the season in the Premier League I think he deserves another year to have a look at things because he has had a lot to deal with."
West Ham lost just three top-flight games at the Boleyn Ground last season as they finished seventh, but have suffered nine defeats after their move to the London Stadium in the summer, and Bardsley agrees moving grounds has influenced their drop into the lower half of the table in the current campaign.
"For West Ham, it was a massive step for them financially [to move stadium]," he said. "But on the field, you seem far away from the fans. The atmosphere is quite different from the Boleyn Ground. I think in some of West Ham's performances you can see that."
Moyes spent 11 years overseeing Everton's position in the Premier League between 2002 and 2013 before being appointed Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United, but Francis admits the Sunderland boss' record will not be the deciding factor in whether Moyes remains at the Stadium of Light.
"You're only as good as your last season," said Francis. "David had a tremendous record at Everton. The problem is if you come into the Premier League and get relegated then questions will be asked at the end of the season."
Stoke defender Bardsley, who oversaw several close escapes from relegation during his six years at Sunderland, has sympathy with Moyes though, putting the Black Cats' continued struggles partly down to their transfer activity.
"I feel sorry for Moyes in certain aspects," said Bardsley. "He's taken over a squad of players he doesn't necessarily want, financially it's been tough for the managers to bring players in, and that's why they've struggled.
"I know how passionate the fans are up there, but on the other hand maybe it's a blessing for the club to get back to basics and start from the beginning."
