Former West Ham United striker Tony Cottee has questioned the club's decision to only hand new boss David Moyes a contract until the end of the season.

The Scotsman was given a surprise route back into Premier League management by the Hammers on Tuesday, a little over six months after suffering relegation with Sunderland.

Moyes is tasked with turning around a sinking ship at the London Stadium, with United inside the bottom three of the table following a disappointing start to the campaign under sacked boss Slaven Bilic.

Cottee believes that the former Manchester United and Real Sociedad chief should have been handed a longer deal, however, as it risks sending out the wrong message to the playing squad.

"I don't know where to start with the club. The PR is not very good, they need someone on board to help with the PR, everything is so negative," he told Sky Sports News. "There needs to be clarity over recruitment. Who is signing the players? When Slaven signed poor players it was his fault but when it was good players it wasn't to do with him. Can Moyes sign his own players in January or will someone else be doing it?

"Then there's the managerial stability. Slaven was in the last year of his contract. As soon as someone is in the last months of a contract, there is trouble, players switch off and there is uncertainty. I don't want to read David has got it to the end of the season. If he is your choice, the man you want, then give him a three-year contract.

"If he's got a contract, the players will settle down and if you are trying to sign a star player for next season, at least he knows who the manager is going to be. I don't think [the fans] know who they want in charge. They've left their spiritual home and they were going to go this stadium to have a team that will compete to get into Europe. They reluctantly accepted that. But now they are so frustrated.

"The manager has been undermined the players have lost confidence. Whoever they put in charge, the fans would be moaning. They have not won anything for 37 years. Stoke have won a trophy, Swansea, Leicester Wigan, why can't West ham win anything? It's got to be done in the right way. Because of that, there is a negative response and everyone is frustrated."

West Ham co-owner David Gold has defended the underwhelming appointment of Moyes, insisting that he is the "perfect" man for the job.