All eyes are on Patrick Stewart at Rangers as the pressure rises on Belgian manager Philippe Clement at Ibrox.
Ahead of Thursday’s must-win Old Firm derby clash, Philippe Clement finds himself under mounting pressure in Glasgow.
Having had the opportunity to go within six points of Celtic with a victory in the Old Firm derby only a week ago, five dropped points between Paisley and Motherwell have put paid to any notion of a title bid from Ibrox.
Rangers find themselves 14 points off their rivals in the Scottish Premiership and anything but a victory will see calls for Philippe Clement to be sacked become untenable.
It’s just as well then that one former Manchester United manager, who Patrick Stewart will be more than familiar with from his time at Old Trafford, has kept the door open.
David Moyes open to managerial return
David Moyes is currently out of work after leaving West Ham United last summer but the 61-year-old insists he’s not taking a permanent hiatus from the game.
Moyes is one of British football’s most experienced coaches and a three-time LMA Manager of the Year award winner.
Having begun his playing career at Old Firm rivals Celtic, David Moyes also spent the bulk of time on the pitch south of the border and has never managed a club up north.
Starting his managerial career with Preston North End, Moyes is famous for his time with Everton and then a doomed stint replacing the great Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
Having also spent time in charge of Real Sociedad in Spain, Moyes then spent two stints at West Ham, the latter of which spawned five seasons.
In that space of time, Moyes transformed the Hammers from relegation fodder into Europa Conference League winners and his managerial credentials are indisputable.
Now, speaking about his future with BBC Sport, David Moyes is clear that he’s not done with management just yet even if he’s enjoying his time out of the limelight.
It comes with the legendary manager being awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year Honours list at the end of 2024.
“I don’t consider myself done yet but I am certainly enjoying some time off,” Moyes told BBC Sport.
“The one thing I won’t do is put any manager under pressure personally, because I don’t believe in it. I have not liked it when I have been in that position myself.
“We are all getting a little bit older and I have to make sure I am doing the right thing for myself.
“Football is in my blood. It has been since I was a boy. I love watching football and I have enjoyed my career.
“If there is another part to it, so be it. But I would only want it to be a good part. I wouldn’t want to be coming in and doing something which is very difficult.
“I don’t want to be at the bottom of the league and fighting relegation which I have had a few times, so we will see how things go.”
Ex-Manchester United boss talks manager pressure
With all the sack talking swirling around Philippe Clement, David Moyes is obviously an attractive potential candidate for Rangers supporters.
Having managed at the top level and in the Premier League, Moyes has also enjoyed European success and coming from Scotland, knows how it works north of the border.
Nobody’s fool, the no-nonsense, straight-talking old-school manager is a dying breed and after several failed experiments Moyes could offer some stability, and rigidity, in the corridors of power at Ibrox.
Patrick Stewart was also at Manchester United when Moyes took over from Sir Alex.
But David Moyes reckons that those who appoint managers should stick to their guns, with the ex-Old Trafford manager feeling the heat of media and fan pressure plenty of times himself.
Whilst there’s no official suggestion Rangers would be interested in David Moyes or that Philippe Clement is set to be sacked, the wily old manager reckons his colleagues need time to make an impact.
“To say to a manager ‘We are giving you six months or a year in the job to see how you do’, I don’t think that is correct,” Moyes said.
“I think the people who put managers in place have to stand by their judgement, keep their managers and give them a chance to do the job.
“Let’s be fair, Manchester United in some ways is a one-off.
“The pressure you are under at Manchester United is greater than it is at most clubs. When you are in that role, you have to accept that is how it is going to be.
“But it is not the manager’s fault at the moment. The manager is still finding his way and trying to tiptoe into the job.”
