‘West Ham owners messed up Moyes’

West Ham owners “toyed” with David Moyes and could have shown him “more respect”, says former Premier League striker Chris Sutton.

The Hammers announced on Monday that Moyes will leave at the end of the seasonwith former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui named as replacement.

Sutton said the owners had been “sucked in” by a section of the fan base who are “entitled” and want “fantasy football”.

“To some extent, all football fans now want this Pep [Guardiola] football brand,” Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.

“It’s not realistic.”

In February, Moyes said he had been offered a new deal remain as West Ham manager – but would wait until the end of the season to make a decision on his future.

In April, Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim apologized for holding talks with West Ham saying it was a “mistake” – and Sutton believes continued speculation over Moyes’ future has resulted in a drop in results.

The Hammers have won just one of their last nine Premier League games.

“I think unconsciously players tune out,” Sutton said. “I don’t think it helped that David Moyes was misled by the owners and I think that had a knock-on effect.

“I just think they might have got it all wrong.

“There will be West Ham fans expecting the world next season, expecting them to move on, expecting them to be more expansive and I would be surprised if it was better than it was under David Moyes.

“The owners have been sucked in by the fact that there is a section of the fan base who are entitled and want fantasy football.

“I just think he could have been treated better and he could have been given more respect.”

Moyes’ last home game in charge will be against relegation-threatened Luton on Saturday (3pm BST).

Hatters winger Andros Townsend believes West Ham’s owners were right to announce Moyes’ departure before the end of the season.

“There are rumors that as soon as West Ham go through a bad run of form – ‘Oh, Moyes will be replaced’,” Townsend told Monday Night Club.

“I think they [the owners] I did the right thing. They waited until the season was over.”