David Moyes: 'Pep Guardiola is the Heston Blumenthal of football'

| 26 February 2021

David Moyes likened his opponent this weekend to eccentric celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal.

David Moyes has branded Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ‘the Heston Blumenthal of football’.

Celebrity chef Blumenthal is famed for his unusual culinary creations such as bacon and egg ice cream and snail porridge.

Guardiola, meanwhile, has found his recipe for success this season with another innovation, the almost free role given to Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo.

West Ham manager Moyes, who must rustle up a way of dealing with Cancelo and co on Saturday, said: “I might draw a really bad analogy here.

🔵 Involved in both first-leg goals, João Cancelo takes the prize after another impressive Manchester City display 🥇

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“Heston Blumenthal, who mixes chocolate with eggs or something stupid and outrageous. Pep is nearly the Heston Blumenthal of football.

“He does things where you think ‘that is never going to work, that’s not going to taste right or look good’.

“Pep does things in football terms which are remarkable. He is always looking for new ideas. He is innovative.

“I get this feeling he is in a think-tank room, thinking about how he can make his players perform better, or where they can receive the ball in space and make it so difficult for the opposition.

“That is how I look at Pep. I look at him in such high esteem. He has worked at clubs that have given him the chance to do that. But at the top clubs, the only way you keep your job is to win and he is doing a good job.

David Moyes, centre, bumps fists with Pep Guardiola, right — David Moyes, centre, spoke of his high regard for Pep Guardiola (Catherine Ivill/PA)

“He has done lots of things you would never dream of. Pep has done lots of things lots of people would not have thought of doing.

“Snail porridge? That’s what I’m talking about. It’s ridiculous. Full-backs going into midfield… he’s done things as a football coach which lots of people wouldn’t have thought of doing.”

As for which chef Moyes likens himself to, another hardline, fiery Scot sprang immediately to mind.

“Gordon Ramsay, all day long!” he smiled. “And you know what you’re getting there, don’t you?”