Surely some hopeful hearts sank.
Many Sunderland fans would’ve thought the hiring of David Moyes would signal a positive change for their beleaguered side -- and it still may -- but the Scottish manager admitted not much has changed at the Stadium of Light.
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Perennial relegation battlers in the Premier League -- yes, even under Sam Allardyce -- the Black Cats have found it hard to bring in players since Allardyce left for the England national team job.
Moyes, 53, is taking a realistic approach to life at Sunderland right now, but are his comments the right tonic for an 0-2 club?
From the BBC:Asked about supporters fearing another season-long struggle, he said: “Well, they would probably be right.
“That’s where they’ve been every other year for the last four years, so why would it suddenly change?”
It’s interesting that Moyes would admit it so candidly after a mere two games. While even Claudio Ranieri used the 40-point goal for much of last season, Moyes is supposed to be ushering in a new era at Sunderland.
So why willingly accept the dark clouds of yesteryear? Yes, it’s important to have reasonable expectations, and the club has watched some key players disappear. A home loss to Middlesbrough isn’t ideal but Sunderland still had its chances to win the match. And losing at Man City weeks after Moyes took charge is not even close to a cause for concern.
Then again, this is a different Moyes from the man we watched guide Everton respectably for so many years after raising his reputation at Preston North End. Manchester United didn’t live up to expectations -- wrong which they may’ve been! -- on his watch, and Real Sociedad was a real struggle. Life’s changed for the Scot.
Has Moyes done the right thing in choosing not to hedge -- if not summarily dismiss -- on relegation concerns after two matches?