Chairman suggests West Ham shouldn't appoint 62-year-old manager to replace David Moyes

By Sam Preston

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony says West Ham should not replace David Moyes with Rafa Benitez.

The Times reported before West Ham’s game with Nottingham Forest that the Scot faced the sack if he lost that one.

The Hammers won 4-0 and Moyes will lead them into the FA Cup fifth round tie against his former club Manchester United tonight.

MacAnthony told the Hard Truth podcast that Benitez, 62, is not the man to call on if Moyes does end up losing his job.

Darragh MacAnthony says West Ham shouldn’t replace David Moyes with Rafa Benitez

He said in typically uncompromising style: “Rafa Benitez would be the last person you would want to come in. It would be like watching paint dry.”

Moyes and Benitez do seem to be managers cut from the same cloth in terms of being pragmatic, but experienced in the Premier League.

Moyes’ tactics have never 100 per cent sat right with the West Ham fans and Benitez would be more of the same, rather than a younger more progressive manager to get more out of this talented squad.

As it stands, it seems like West Ham will stick with Moyes, who delivered a resounding 4-0 victory under the most intense pressure in terms of job security.

He has the chance to take the Hammers into the last eight of the FA Cup tonight, with the prospect of another European adventure in the Europa Conference League when it resumes this month.

But Moyes should have done far better this season and it would not be a surprise to see a parting of ways in the summer, even if survival is achieved.