It was all looking so rosy for West Ham going into this season and in his second stint in charge at the club David Moyes could take an awful lot of the credit for that.
Returning in late December 2019, after a brief and successful firefighting assignment was concluded 18 months earlier, Moyes inherited a club in tatters from Manuel Pellegrini, a man who was both his successor and predecessor.
The Hammers languished just one spot off the relegation zone and with confidence on the floor, they had won only twice since September.
As one of the most experienced Premier League managers around, Moyes knew precisely what to do, concentrating on making his new employers tough to beat by installing greater structure and organisation at the back, then in time – when confidence picked up – allowing his creative stars such as Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini more freedom to shine.
It was a playbook straight out of the old school, but in the final weeks of that difficult campaign, West Ham picked up 12 points from a possible 21. They remained a top-flight side come May.
And from there, it all got significantly better.
David Moyes has picked out the West Ham players he thinks could become future managers 🧐#WHUFC https://t.co/qFCKkv765U
— West Ham United News (@WestHam_fl) December 4, 2022
A superb transfer window that summer saw Craig Dawson, Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal come in, players who would help transform the club’s fortunes and that’s said with some under-statement as the Hammers competed in the top six for the entirety of the latter half of 2020/21, eventually securing a European place for only the seventh time in their history.
The following season, West Ham again defied the Premier League predictions, inhabiting the top four for over a third of a memorable year that also had them excel on the continent, reaching a Europa League semi-final.
This was all getting a little improbable now. A successful West Ham was becoming the norm.
On taking the reins for a second time Moyes – a manager associated with failures at Manchester United and abroad – had boasted, ‘That’s what I do. I win’, and even seasoned journalists in the room struggled to stifle their giggles.
But no-one was laughing anymore, as a remarkable reputational resurrection was taking place, with the ‘Moyesiah’ – as Hammers fans love to call him – taking West Ham with him.
Then finally, last summer came proper investment, and an opportunity to build on the solid foundations in place.
So isn’t it typically contrary footballing law that states it’s now, with £43m Lucas Paqueta aspiring to inspire in midfield, and an elite striker in Gianluca Scamacca up front, that the Hammers experience a period of prolonged suffering.
With nine defeats in 15, they hover precariously over the bottom three, and though their defence is as functional as ever, an inability to score is costing them dear.
And as their Premier League odds widen with every passing week so too do the rumours louden that David Moyes may soon be joining Scott Parker, Thomas Tuchel, Bruno Lage, Steven Gerrard and Ralph Hasenhuttl in being sacked before Christmas.
That’s a long list for this stage of a season, but such is the demands of a post-pandemic Premier League, where financial considerations are piqued more than ever.
Which ultimately may be the determining factor in David Moyes’ future, because bluntly, West Ham cannot afford to go down. Few clubs can.
Will the veteran boss turn things around? He has transformed the Hammers before so it stands to reason he can do it again, though on this occasion it really feels like time is of the essence.
When club football returns post-World Cup, Moyes must do what he believes he is known for. He must start winning.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 5th December 2022
