Moyes was interviewed for Saints job

Michael Kenrick , 21 January, 2comments | Jump to most recent

David Moyes was interviewed for the job of Saints manager in the summer of 2001, shortly after caretaker boss Stuart Gray and assistant Dennis Rofe had ended the 2000-01 season in temporary charge.

Then chairman Rupert Lowe had held a fans' forum at The Dell in early May 2001 when he told supporters one of two things would happen in the summer: Either, a new manager would be appointed who would be told to include Gray and Rofe in their backroom team in order to promote continuity... Or Gray and Rofe's positions would be made permanent.

Moyes was interviewed by Lowe, only for Gray to be appointed permanent boss a few weeks later.

Lowe has since told friends that any deal for Moyes, who was then manager of Preston North End, collapsed for financial reasons. Moyes came to Lowe's attention after he had taken Preston to the play off final of what is now the Championship, just 12 months after winning promotion from the third tier.

Moyes had done well at Preston due to his impressive man-management skills. When Steve Basham went to Deepdale, initially on loan from The Dell, he found Moyes “so enthusiastic” that he signed for him permanently.

As for Gray, his promotion to permanent manager was not that permanent. He was sacked after just eight league games of the 2001-02 season, Saints' first at St Mary's.

What if Lowe and his board had made Moyes an offer he couldn't refuse?

» Read the full article at Daily Echo

Reader Comments (2)

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Dan McKie
1 Posted 21/01/2013 at 14:38:04

Is this one of those stories designed to make folk initially think it was the recent Southampton vacancy, then read it, only to find out it was ages ago?

Patrick Murphy
2 Posted 21/01/2013 at 14:41:50

I realise that this story is from Southampton's local paper and therefore has some justification, but every story between now and the end of the Season or until DM signs his new contract will have an element of 'what lies in store for David Moyes?'

It will intensify the longer we are in the shake-up for European places and especially as our neighbours appear to have got their act together. The great British Press what would we do without them? They don't have any agenda and only report what is in the public interest. This type of story will not help us in recruiting players in the window either, not that we are likely to do much business anyway.

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