Sacking David Moyes is a risk West Ham United might regret: Here’s Why
West Ham United ought to carefully consider their position on David Moyes because they may come to regret allowing the Scottish manager to depart.
Even for the teams vying for first place, most clubs find the Premier League to be a cruel and merciless environment. In a league where so many clubs are trying to stay in the top flight rather than reaching some of the lofty goals outlined at the beginning of each season, the majority of mid-table clubs have found it difficult to compete.
The supporters of West Ham United, or at least a sizable portion of them, seem to undervalue their current manager David Moyes, who has led the team admirably since taking over in November 2017. Since his arrival, the East London team has not looked back, despite some early skepticism after his unsuccessful experiences at Everton and the Hammers.
Consider Brighton & Hove Albion; their hiring of Roberto De Zerbi and then Graham Potter proved to be a winning combination. During their tenure at the team, the two have produced a number of young players that have helped the Seagulls succeed in the transfer market and sell them for a premium.
Others, like Fulham, Brentford, and Crystal Palace, have seen their fortunes decline in recent years, and there is still no assurance that they will make it through the grueling Premier League relegation battle. These are clubs that have long-held aspirations to join the European scene. They still have to make up ground to finish in the proper places given how competitive the Premier League is.
If West Ham is any indication, they are a well-known midtable team in the league. If you ask most clubs, they’ll want to be where the East London outfit is. After spending more than a billion pounds, even Chelsea would gladly trade places with the Hammers in a game of table tennis.
That is the Premier League’s struggle and the competition for spots, particularly those that offer entry into Europe. However, rather than being appreciative of the club for choosing to employ someone like Moyes several years ago, West Ham supporters are upset with him.
With Moyes’s current contract expiring in the summer, there are now rumors that West Ham may change their mind about initially intending to offer him a new one. In this article, we examine whether the Hammers board made the right decision in dismissing their manager and pursuing an unrealistic goal that might not be sustainable in the long run.
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.
It appears that West Ham has a strategy in place because another source stated that they seek a manager similar to Unai Emery to succeed Moyes. Will a coach of that caliber receive the same support from Aston Villa as the Spaniard has?
West Ham is ranked eighth on the table based on their net expenditure from the 2019–20 season, which is about where they have typically finished throughout that time. Spending is important for any club, but in this day and age of FFP monitoring, selecting the incorrect player might have serious consequences.
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?
The other question is about what West Ham supporters desire before the first can be addressed. Just like any other team, their thoughts are filled with visions of illustrious times spent winning trophies and facing up against the Premier League’s elite.
Does West Ham have the capacity to do that? Not so, since it will take a long period and significant sales and investments to get them to that point. This is not to argue that Moyes is the right guy to lead them to championships each and every season. However, he does promise a respectable result and possible spots in European events.
Graham Potter, who was linked to West Ham, left for Chelsea last season, defying expectations that he would return to Brighton. After the Blues accomplished nothing the previous season, their brief reign ultimately ended tragically, leaving them in a state of limbo.
While sometimes “boring” football can irritate fans, they should think about the long-term success of their team. Returning to Aston Villa, they are a team that can invest heavily and support Emery in the transfer market; their pursuit of a top-four finish demonstrates how quickly they have attained this status.
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.
oyes 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.
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