David Moyes returns to Manchester United for FA Cup clash with West Ham flying high and a point to prove

An empty Old Trafford may be a kinder arena than a full one for visiting teams. But for David Moyes, it will always be inhabited by noisy ghosts.

Moyes, who takes his West Ham to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Tuesday, was once upon a time serenaded by a 1.5m image of his face, next to the words "The Chosen One" on a banner stretched across the Stretford End. No trip to the workplace where he held his biggest job can ever feel routine.

Moyes was United’s manager for 51 matches, up until April 2014, fewer than any United boss – caretakers apart – since the early 1930s. It still preys on him that so little of his six-year contract, signed when he was identified as the successor to Alex Ferguson, was honoured.

On Monday, he drew pointed attention to how long the current United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has had to construct a team and develop a strategy. “Given the time he has been given,” said Moyes, “Ole is doing well to mould an exciting young team. I think they are building a nice team.” And, as if for emphasis, he added: “The time he has been given has allowed him to do that.”

For the record, Solskjaer and Moyes’s first 50 matches as United manager are a mirror of each other: Moyes won 26 and lost 14 before being sacked after a defeat to Everton; Solskjaer won 24 times and lost 14 to bring up his half century. The Norwegian’s reward was a different level of patience. Tonight will be his 126th game in charge.

Other employers stopped being so generous with the time they offered, once Moyes, 57, had been deemed the wrong fit at Old Trafford.

He became a short-stayer: A year at Real Sociedad; a season, which ended in relegation, at Sunderland; a mere six-month contract when he was first asked to rescue West Ham in the autumn of 2017. They were in the Premier League’s relegation zone. Moyes had them clear of it before Christmas and 13th at the end of the season, when the club thanked him but still said farewell.

The return of Moyes to East London, on an 18-month deal from December 2018, was an admission by West Ham that his rigour, his clarity about the right balance of a side and his intimate knowledge of the Premier League – where he first managed, at Everton, nearly 19 years ago – were better suited to the club than had been acknowledged.

He came back and again performed his firefighter role, lifting the club clear of the threat of relegation last season.

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West Ham 1 Manchester United 3: player ratings

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The consolidation since has been spectacular: last month West Ham recorded their best opening half of a league season since the mid-1980s. Were it not for the last 25 minutes of United's match at West Ham in December – when a 1-0 home lead turned into a 3-1 away win – Moyes's club and Solkjaer's would now be joined on 42 points each.

That head-to-head left Moyes angry. The long pass that led to United’s equaliser, launched by United goalkeeper Dean Henderson had curled out of play, in his view, before dropping inside the touchline. Moyes felt the assistant referee should have raised a flag.

He seldom conceals his ire when he sees a poor refereeing decision. He detected another on Saturday, at the end of the goalless draw at Fulham, when Tomas Soucek, his leading scorer this season and chief beneficiary of the array of set-piece drills that West Ham have cultivated under Moyes, was sent off.

The red card heard on Monday that the red card has been overturned on appeal and Soucek has avoided suspension.

“This is a really big game for us, against an in-form team,” said Moyes. He seeks improvement on what he called “a poor performance” at Fulham and to recover their recent momentum.

West Ham, a squad with limited options at centre-forward and a net spend of just over £6 million ($8.2m) in the last two transfer windows, are punching above their weight. Since losing to United two months ago, they have recorded just two defeats in 14, and, in the Premier League, are a point off fourth spot.

“We have another step to go,” says Moyes, “but I have seen levels of performance recently that show we can keep getting better.”

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Tamkeen's offering

Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years

Key findings of Jenkins report

Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."