Moyes said: “I have some sympathy for Iain, getting sacked so soon into the season. He is an up-and-coming young manager who has worked his way through the ranks, and I am disappointed for him.
“I was in a similar situation last season here at Everton when my side was down at the bottom. But I have a very strong and supportive board of directors who stuck by me.
“Times were tough but they realised where we were going. I do not know really what has happened at Charlton, I’m only concerned with my own club but I do feel what happened was harsh on Iain and I feel for him. He will come back as a good manager again somewhere, I am sure of that.
“It is a tough job being a manager. But not everybody can be successful every season with only so many trophies to be won. Someone has to get relegated, it is going to happen.
“But sometimes you must take a long-term view and decide what is best for your club. But to be fair to Charlton, they have always taken that long-term view. They were a model for a lot of people in the way they rebuilt their club and got back to The Valley with Alan Curbishley.
“So maybe it is a bit more of a surprise to people at the way Charlton have acted.”
