DAVID MOYES hopes today’s return to Everton proves less ‘Grim’ than the only other time he has been back.
When he went to Goodison with Manchester United in 2014, he was heckled by a ‘fan’ dressed as the Grim Reaper — part of a stunt by a firm of bookies.
Moyes lost that game 2-0 and, with Champions League qualification no longer possible, he was sacked two days later.
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But the now-Sunderland boss opts to remember the good times during 11 years on Merseyside.
He admitted: “I never even knew about the Grim Reaper. He was sitting behind me but I didn’t know a lot about it.
“But I wasn’t happy that day because we lost at my old club. And I wasn’t happy because people in the industry knew I’d lost my job before I knew.
“But I will be going back thinking of the happier times.”
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Returning to Goodison also reminds Moyes of how lucky he was to be given time to succeed — patience that is now in short supply, as proved by Leicester’s axing of Claudio Ranieri.
Moyes added: “When you see what happened to Claudio, it makes me realise how fortunate I was to have a good chairman.
“Even when things weren’t going well, they stuck by me.
“The era of club building for managers has gone. Ranieri leaving is proof of that. But Sunderland need club building. They have been through the period of change, change, change.”
Moyes’ men take on Everton still propping up the Premier League. But last week, with no FA Cup commitments, they enjoyed five days in New York.
The timing came under fire with Sunderland this week notifying 90 staff jobs were at risk.
But Moyes said: “You cannot connect them. The redundancies are a realignment chief executive Martin Bain had planned.
“But I feel sad for the people, especially in this region.
“I have told the players that staying in the Premier League isn’t just about us as players, it’s about the people who surround the club and industries outside the club.”
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