by West Ham would need a very good reason not to award the fine work of David Moyes a new contract. If they are afraid they need only think back to how the Scots’ first spell at the London Stadium ended. Instead of accepting the stability offered by Moyes, West Ham went for the glamorous option. They appointed Manuel Pellegrini, gave the Chilean a huge budget and eventually sacked him after 18 months of inconsistency that left the side in relegation trouble. The grass is not always greener.
Moyes returned to replace Pellegrini, preserved West Ham’s status in the Premier League and built a team with a tough identity. It finished sixth and seventh, bringing European football to east London for the first time since 2006.
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It was not always simple. West Ham’s league form dipped in 2022, although concessions can be made for their run to the last four of the Europa League, and Moyes’ position was under serious threat. He would have been fired if West Ham lost to Fulham last April. Fans had seen a lot. Some have never accepted Moyes’ pragmatic approach and will jump at any opportunity to criticize him. Outsiders sense more than a whiff of ingratitude.
Moyes is the man who led West Ham to their first trophy in 43 years. He took the lead in Prague when Jarrod Bowen scored the winner against Fiorentina in the Europa League final last June. Time to build the statue? Not enough. For much of last summer there was talk of tension between Moyes and West Ham’s new head of recruitment, Tim Steidten.
Against that background it is not surprising that, until a few weeks ago, the general view was that West Ham would let Moyes go when his contract expired at the end of the season. Steidten, formerly at Bayer Leverkusen, was keen to scour Europe and find the next Roberto De Zerbi.
One, Moyes has just taken West Ham into the last 16 of the Europa League. They have started since the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal last summer, rebuilding with the signings of Edson Álvarez, Mohammed Kudus, Konstantinos Mavropanos and James Ward-Prowse. They go into Tuesday’s home game against Brighton in sixth place, fresh from consecutive 2-0 wins over Arsenal and Manchester United. No wonder they are willing to offer Moyes a two-and-a-half-year extension when talks over a deal take place this month.
It is not a done deal. Moyes, who was criticized for his rotation when West Ham went to Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and lost 5-1, could be forgiven for wondering if he wants two more seasons of fans support calling it too negative. It is less than a month since his team lost 5-0 at Fulham. There are times when West Ham look stilted in attack.
But there is more than one way to play. When West Ham beat Arsenal last week it was impossible not to marvel at their defensive brilliance. Not every manager has to deal with running statistics. This season West Ham beat Chelsea, Tottenham, Brighton and Arsenal despite having less than 30% possession. For some of Moyes’ critics, those victories are rare occurrences. As if they can be withdrawn without motivated players making a smart tactical plan a good and experienced manager.
West Ham do a lot with a little. While Ward-Prowse’s set pieces are a big part of the plan, they are not a route one team. They can be devastating on the break and win. Lucas Paquetá is one of the best players in the league. Bowen has been excellent since moving up front. Kudus, whose goals and dribbling will be missed as he joins Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations, looks set to be a £38m deal from Ajax.
Of course, there will be a temptation to give those talents to a more extensive manager. Moyes is not perfect. Some of the games are dull and there are times when West Ham fall too deep. He was tough on strikers in his system. Fans look up to the enterprising football played by Spurs under Ange Postecoglou, a manager who was snubbed by West Ham in the past.
But if there is no obvious candidate there is no reason not to keep Moyes. He points out that West Ham don’t have the same resources as the teams around them, so they have to find another way. He refers to his years at Everton and talks about building over time.
The mood goes back to 2014-15 and a promising campaign is falling apart as West Ham let Sam Allardyce’s contract lapse. The uncertainty does not help. Moyes has said that he could annoy his players. He is gearing up for a strong second half of the season.
The risk is that the mood changes before the summer. West Ham could give Moyes a deal now, then look at the results and the fans get restless again. The squad lacks quality coverage in key areas. What happens if injuries strike? What if they finish in the middle of the table? West Ham would be wondering if they should gamble.
However Moyes is their best manager in the Premier League era. He has won over big clubs and overseen some special nights in Europe. He achieved legendary status after winning in Prague, an achievement that places him alongside Ron Greenwood and John Lyall in the club’s history. Moyes deserves more time. West Ham would have to be very confident that someone else could do a better job. They would be gambling if they let him go. They don’t need another Pellegrini.
