David Moyes has dismissed claims of a rift with West Ham technical director Tim Steidten, yet he cryptically emphasised that “every manager has their boundaries.”
Steidten has been instructed to keep his distance from Moyes and the first-team squad for the remainder of the season as he leads the search for Moyes’ potential successor. This news was disputed by the club, however Moyes’ comments will have only added further fuel to the fire.
Moyes, whose contract expires at the end of the season, noted that no definitive decision about his future will be made until after this month’s final game, although it is widely anticipated that he will depart from the club.
“We don’t want any distractions; we’re keeping our eyes on the ball,” Moyes stated. “Tim has his responsibilities, and I have mine. We have three games left to play, and our focus is on those.” Moyes hinted at an outside chance of qualifying for the Europa Conference League, a prospect viewed sceptically by many.
Steidten, who joined West Ham last summer after a stint at Bayer Leverkusen, had reportedly experienced early tensions with Moyes concerning transfer targets. Despite being a regular fixture at the club on match days, when asked about any friction, Moyes clarified, “No, not at all. I’ve always said that Tim has his job to do, but as managers, we have our boundaries, and I have mine.”
Whilst Moyes was trying to tread a fine line with his press conference, his comments will have fooled nobody. Clearly there has been a falling out and lines have been drawn at both the stadium and training ground. The sooner this debacle ends, the better it will be for all concerned.