Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has defended West Ham boss David Moyes, calling him “one of the outstanding managers in the game”.
West Ham host Spurs on Tuesday with Moyes looking to do the double over Tottenham after West Ham won 2-1 in December.
But Moyes has come under fire from some sections of the West Ham support, who have called for him to be sacked.
“I think he’s an outstanding manager. I rate him so highly,” said Postecoglou.
“He is one of the ones I have always rated highly. Longevity in the game means something, especially at this level.”
Moyes led the Hammers to their first major trophy in 43 years as they beat Fiorentina to win the Europa Conference League in Prague in June.
“Whether it was at Everton or the difficult job he had at Man U, he went abroad and has never stopped coaching,” Postecoglou added.
“I think he has done a brilliant job at West Ham and anyone that thinks otherwise… the team they are today, the players they’ve got there, they have some high-quality footballers in that team and I think they’re going to get better.
“I guess it’s a bit of today’s world we live in where there is always a short-term reflex to everything that happens, but I’ve got no doubt he is one of the outstanding managers in the game.”
A ‘Moyes Out’ banner was on show in the away end as West Ham fell to a 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest in February, a result which followed a 6-0 home loss to Arsenal a week earlier.
And some fans were angered when Moyes’ side lost 4-3 at Newcastle on Saturday after leading 3-1.
Moyes is out of contract at the end of this season and the Scot said in February he had been offered a new deal but would “wait until the end of the season” before deciding on it.