David Moyes Resigns as Sunderland Manager After Premier League Relegation

David Moyes has resigned from his position as Sunderland manager, the club confirmed on Monday.

Moyes took on the job last summer, replacing former England manager Sam Allardyce.

The former Manchester United and Everton boss found the going tough at the Stadium of Light and departs with the club's relegation confirmed at the end of a miserable season, ending a decade-long stay in the Premier League.  

Searching for a new boss is nothing new for Sunderland, who have parted ways with plenty of managers in recent years. Moyes' successor will be the seventh permanent boss since Steve Bruce left the club in 2011.

The new manager will take over a squad with deep-rooted problems. In recent seasons, Sunderland have found themselves in a scrap to stay afloat, although a late surge, often inspired by a change of manager, has seen them pull clear. Moyes was unable to muster a similar late rise.

He had solid foundations to build on after Allardyce steadied the ship in his brief spell at the club. But things were tough from the off for Moyes, with an opening-day loss to Manchester City a sign of things to come. Home defeats followed to Middlesbrough, Everton and Crystal Palace; they threw a two-goal lead away in the latter.

As noted by journalist Daniel Harris, the manager was quick to shift responsibility from himself to the players after that defeat:

The team found it difficult to build any momentum as Sunderland sagged to the bottom of the Premier League and was quickly cut adrift. Their relegation to the second tier was eventually confirmed after a 1-0 home defeat to Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light.

Off the pitch, Moyes attracted controversy, too. In March, the manager apologised after he told BBC reporter Vicki Sparks she might "get a slap" after asking a question about the coach being under pressure to perform.

It's going to be tough for Moyes to restore his reputation as a manager. While he did a fine job at Everton over 12 years, he's now come up short in each of his last three roles.

Sportswriter Chris Smith is unsure whether Moyes is up to the rigorous demands of the Premier League anymore:

Sunderland, meanwhile, face a big fight if they're to bounce back to the top tier at the first time of asking. It's vital Sunderland pick their next manager wisely, though, as the club requires overdue consistency at the helm. Moyes was another boss unable to provide it.