West Ham United should think hard about their stance on David Moyes, as they might come to regret any decision to let the Scot leave.
The Premier League is a tough, ruthless place for most clubs, even for those competing for the top prize. Most mid-table clubs have struggled in such a competitive environment, as many of them end up fighting to stay in the top flight than achieve some of the ambitious targets set out at the start of each campaign.
West Ham United fans, at least a significant section of them, appear to underrate their current manager David Moyes, who has done a fantastic job at the helm since taking over in November 2017. The East London outfit have not looked back since his arrival, although there were initial doubts following his failed stints between leaving Everton and joining the Hammers.
🚨⚒️ David Moyes: “Maybe some fans want a change or maybe they’ve had managers who excite them more possibly… but the one who’s sitting here wins more”. pic.twitter.com/mzkUgF2QXF
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 17, 2024
Take Brighton & Hove Albion, for example; they did strike gold with the appointments of Graham Potter and then Roberto De Zerbi. The duo has developed plenty of young stars during their time at the club, which in turn allows the Seagulls to sell them for a high price and operate well in the transfer market.
Others like Crystal Palace, Brentford and Fulham have seen their fortunes dwindle in the last few years, with still no guarantees they will survive the ordeal of the Premier League relegation dogfight. These are also clubs who have long-standing dreams of entering the European sphere. Still, with the competitiveness of the Premier League, they need to catch up to finishing in the correct positions.
If West Ham are anything, they are an established mid-table side in the league. Ask most clubs, and they will want to be in the position where the East London outfit are. Even Chelsea, after spending over a billion pounds, would readily swap places with the Hammers on the table.
Such is the ordeal of the Premier League and the fight for places, especially that provide a route into Europe. Yet, West Ham fans are unhappy with someone like Moyes instead of being grateful to the club to have made that decision many years ago to appoint him.
Now, there are talks of West Ham reconsidering their initial plan to hand Moyes a new deal, with his current one ending in the summer. Here, we look at whether the Hammers board need to make the right call in banishing their manager and dreaming a dream that may only appeal to fans and maybe not their future.
Are West Ham taking a risk by banishing Moyes?
Sure enough, as there is a significant risk in finding the right man to take over from Moyes. As things stand, the Scot had a new offer on the table, which, as per the latest stories, West Ham are now reconsidering. Their manager has yet to show any urgency in signing those new terms, but he would want to continue what he has started here.
“What he has done for the club probably doesn't get enough credit. But that's just noise. The players respect the manager, respect his ways”
“What he's done for this club I don't think any other manager would come close to.”
– Jarrod Bowen on David Moyes. pic.twitter.com/lxW9qRY1t1
— club shop hammer (@notpaul1985x) February 19, 2024
In this day and age, many fans need clarifications about the status of their clubs. For instance, the Hammers’ fanbase has been screaming about how they are ‘champions of Europe’ for winning the UEFA Europa Conference League and instantly forget the fact that West Ham are firmly settled in the Europa League.
Roberto De Zerbi steered Brighton to a sixth-placed finish and took them into their maiden European competition. However, are they guaranteed to repeat that finish this season or even play in the Conference League next season? Not really, which places more emphasis on what Moyes has done at West Ham.
Now, should they part ways with Moyes in the way of rescinding the new contract, they are taking a huge risk that could affect the club’s immediate future. Julen Lopetegui is a target for West Ham to replace the Scot, while there are others on the shortlist, too.
Another report pointed out how West Ham want an Unai Emery-esque manager to take over from Moyes, which shows they have a plan in their heads. But will that sort of coach have the backing Aston Villa has given the Spaniard?
West Ham’s net spend since the 2019/20 season places them eighth on the table, which is roughly their average finish since that timeline. Spending is vital for any club, but the wrong player could have considerable ramifications in this day and age of FFP scrutiny.
Moyes, who knows the English game well enough, also knows the type of players needed for the current system at West Ham. He has, in fact, improved the valuations of many stars and even resurrected careers of those deemed surplus at other clubs like Kurt Zouma and Emerson Palmieri.
Similarly, he made a top-class midfielder in Declan Rice and, through his sale, got his hands on some exciting stars like Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez. His work shall continue to produce timely big sales in the future, which shall provide the much-needed balance in the transfer market, recruits and spending power.
Can a new manager guarantee Moyes’s consistency?
Before the question can be answered, the other query is about what West Ham fans want. Like any other club, they are thinking about glorious days lifting trophies and competing with the top brass of the Premier League.
Are West Ham in a place to do that? Not really, as they would need massive investments and sales to get to that level, which will take a lot of time. That is not to say that Moyes is the man to get them winning titles every season. But he does guarantee a good enough finish and potential places in European competitions.
Last season, the West Ham-linked Graham Potter went to Chelsea when everyone hoped he would replicate his time at Brighton. In the end, the short reign ended disastrously, with the Blues in no man’s land after achieving nothing last season.
While fans can get frustrated at times with ‘boring’ football, they ought to consider their club’s future. Going back to Aston Villa, they are a club which can spend big and back Emery in the market, and their chase for a top-four place shows how soon they have come into this position.
West Ham are no slouches, and they too have the financial capacity, but are they taking giant strides towards that top-four place? Moreover, someone like Moyes, with his tremendous experience in all competitions, is the right man to guide them through tough European campaigns, albeit second or third-tier ones.
Hence, it begs the question of a potential new manager bring in guarantees to provide stability first and then take the club places that fans dream of. Moyes might not be a long-term prospect for the club. But there’s a time and place for a change, as West Ham are best served keeping hold of Moyes rather than making the hasty decision of parting ways with the Scot.
Moyes’s record at West Ham is underrated
David Moyes came to West Ham United when they were considered irrelevant for most parts, and today, they are one of the vital forces in the Premier League. Winning the UEFA Europa Conference League should not be forgotten either, as it allowed the Hammers to retain their European status despite a 14th-placed finish in the league last season.
8th in the premier league
Just won the conference league
Still in the Europa League
Final example of average sized clubs living beyond their means thinking they’re bigger than they actually are. Moyes has done more for you than your last 50 managers 😂 https://t.co/lOWQVrzprU
— Reece Lee (@xReeceL2002) February 17, 2024
Moyes has consistently kept them in the continental drive, and before last season, he achieved sixth and seventh-placed finish in the league. West Ham are currently ninth on the table after their loss to Nottingham Forest, which was in the aftermath of their 6-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal.
The Scot is well placed to make another effort to finish in European places this season, something the fans should pay attention to. Yet, banners are saying ‘Moyes Out’ in the crowd, and things need to be put into perspective on where the club stands with this.
Significant losses and wins are all part and parcel of football these days, and West Ham could even finish in the bottom half of the table. For now, the Hammers should focus on the consistency Moyes brings rather than dreaming the unthinkable right now just because other clubs have achieved it.
Changing managers does not bring about an immediate reversal in cultures, and the inquest should be about whether West Ham are capable of a transformation. Brighton and Aston Villa have managed it in a short span. But the Hammers are so different from those clubs and should not fall for the narrative that changing managers would bring about drastic changes to their fortunes because it will not.
