DAVID MOYES has revealed he might have snubbed Sunderland if he’d known the true state of the club’s finances.
And the Black Cats chief admitted he was “disappointed” in owner Ellis Short’s decision to consider selling the club despite having finally appointed the manager he tried to land on five previous occasions.
Moyes insists he has never been tempted to walk away from a job made even tougher by the news only “very limited” transfer funds are available.
But asked if he would have taken the job in the summer had he known what he knows now, Moyes admitted: “I would have had to have thought a lot more about it.
“Sunderland always had an appeal to me but if I had known about the situation, I would have needed to look at it in a different way because, at the end of the day, I want to manage in the Premier League.”
The Scot is desperate to strengthen his bottom of the table side, particularly in midfield with German Jan Kirchhoff becoming the latest victim of the club’s injury jinx.
He faces three months on the sidelines with a torn cartilage picked up in the 1-0 home defeat against Chelsea.
Moyes’s side face Watford at the Stadium of Light today in virtually an identical situation to the one predecessor Sam Allardyce had to deal with 12 months ago.
But while Allardyce was given £15m to bolster his squad, the current manager will have nothing like that sum at his disposal.
It’s even more galling for Moyes considering at his unveiling in August, he announced on several occasions Short had given him assurances and guarantees.
And he still doesn’t know why the billionaire has decided to sell having finally got the manager he always wanted.
“I find that difficult because I was saying I have come here to improve the club,” said Moyes.
“I don’t want to be here and be a team at the bottom. This club has the infrastructure, the stadium, incredible support, 40,000 crowds, some of the biggest in Europe.
“That is the appeal of Sunderland and I knew the owner wanted me here for a long time.”
Moyes stopped short of criticising Short, who chief executive Martin Bain says will continue to manage the club’s financial shortfalls but is now “listening to offers”.
But Moyes clearly feels he is having to negotiate the Black Cats’ latest fight for survival with one hand tied behind his back.
He said: “I’m disappointed I will not be able to do some work in January and try and build on what we’ve done.
“There have been some shoots of improvement but we need to give the players a lift. Now we need to get in a huddle and stick together.
“It would be a good achievement if we stay up. Other managers have done it here and I have to as well, but my task may be slightly harder.”
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