So, if David Moyes was affected by the heat of the moment, as he says, one question remains unanswered. Why didn't he jokingly threaten to slap a BBC reporter when the camera was rolling?
Was he suddenly under more pressure when he considered their interview ended? Did the magnitude of a goalless draw with Burnley in front of Sunderland owner Ellis Short then crowd in? Of course not. Moyes knew that what he wanted to say to Vicki Sparks would be considered unacceptable, even in jest, so he kept it buttoned in public. 'No, none at all,' was his on-the-record answer to the question of whether he felt additional pressure with his employer in the house.