Moyes accuses Sunderland of broken promises

David Moyes admits he might not have taken the Sunderland job if he had known the Premier League strugglers had so little money and would be put up for sale.

Moyes took charge at Sunderland in July after Sam Allardyce was appointed England manager, but the Scot now claims he was lured to the Stadium of Light under false pretences.

The former Manchester United boss says Sunderland’s American owner Ellis Short didn’t make it clear he wanted to sell up and has also gone back on his promise to get Moyes fresh blood in the transfer market.

With Sunderland rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table going into this weekend’s fixtures and plagued by injuries to key players, Moyes knows the Black Cats face a tough task to avoid relegation.

He is adamant the blame lies with the club’s hierarchy.

“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,” Moyes was quoted as saying in the Daily Mail on Saturday.

“I would have had to think a lot more about it because at the end of the day I want to manage in the Premier League.

“I did not know the club could be going up for sale, I was not made aware of that before. I didn’t see us having no money in January.

“Even in the summer I knew what we were spending was small in comparison and I said that to the owner.

“But I hoped it would be a short period and we would then have the next period to get things done. That has shown itself not to be the case.

“I’m disappointed that I will not be able to do some work in January (to get new players) and try and build on what we’ve done.”

Sunderland, who host Watford on Saturday, have narrowly survived in the top flight after dramatic escape acts for the last two seasons and Moyes has no intention of resigning as he tries to inspire a similar sprint to safety.

“I have not been tempted to walk because I saw some steel from the players and a belief in what they are doing,” he added.

“So I have thought to myself, ‘I came here to do a job and the first job is to keep us up’.

“Other managers have done it and I have to as well, but my task might be slightly harder.”