David Moyes’ time at West Ham is coming to an end, and the club owes it to him and the fans to be transparent about his future before the last home game of the season against Luton on May 11.
The 60-year-old will forever be remembered fondly for his services: The relegation firefights, three consecutive European quarter-finals, and a UEFA Conference League trophy – the Hammers’ first major honour in 43 years.
However, it’s also perfectly reasonable to recognise and accept Moyes has run his race with the Hammers and that a fresh face with fresh ideas is the way to go.
Last season’s Conference League win papered over very large cracks that should have been addressed regardless of how the final in Prague turned out last June.
Moyes’ stubbornness has always been a lingering problem among fans. As has his consistent defensive approach or his obsession with a small squad, only for it to bite the Hammers in the backside routinely in their 2022 and 2024 Europa League and Premier League pushes.
Moyes has also often been accused of trying to fit square pegs into round holes when it comes to picking his match day starting XI, and his clear lack of trust in his bench and the Hammers’ very impressive youth prospects has resulted in the constant flogging of the same 11-14 players.
To make matters worse, it’s not only a small squad – it’s an ageing one too. It’s the second oldest in the Premier League.
In January, Moyes was hyper-fixated on acquiring long-term target Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City on loan but was reluctant to strengthen the front end of the pitch despite letting go of Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals – a decision that proved costly in the Hammers’ Europa League second leg against Leverkusen.
The Hammers produced a first half to remember in their bid to recover the tie only to gas out and not have viable options on the bench to turn to.
“If I am being honest, if I had my way I would have smaller squads anyway. I would rather have a smaller squad. I always have done. You can get more problems with a bigger squad. Having a smaller squad isn’t bad. But when you are playing, I think it will be 57 games this season, and maybe 60 last. We have had to take a big hit,” Moyes admitted following a 5-2 thumping at the hands of Crystal Palace on Sunday – the fourth time his team conceded five or more goals in 23/24.
And considering Moyes has seen close to half a billion pounds on player investment, the fact the Hammers don’t have viable options to rely on to change games is pitiful.
It’s obvious that West Ham are trying to break this cycle, though, following the ambitious technical director appointment of Tim Steidten.
And they now need an exciting manager to match the evolving structure of the club.
Steidten played a part in piecing parts of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen squad together before joining the Hammers last summer. Alonso’s success in Germany is well documented, with his team still unbeaten, while also clinching a first-ever Bundesliga title, as well as storming into the Europa League semis, and the DFB-Pokal final against FC Kaiserslautern.
In his first transfer window with the Hammers, Steidten’s famous jet pictures alongside incoming signings Edson Alvarez, Mohammed Kudus and Konstantinos Mavropanos had West Ham fans excited and optimistic for the future.
Fans are well within their right to crave a more expansive approach that fits the glaringly obvious array of talent their squad possesses. Not many teams in England, let alone Europe, have a better attacking trio than West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Kudus.
Bowen has committed his long-term future to the Hammers and will go down as a club legend when his career is all said and done. His allegiances to the Dyer family and his beloved twins with Dani could also make an exit difficult – but the other two will eventually leave for astronomical fees and savvy, economical pickups to replace them at a club that is structured to sing from the same hymn sheet will keep the team fighting for where they feel they need to be: A European spot.
Whether that’s in the Conference League, Europa League, or even the Champions League , which Aston Villa look on course to achieve under Unai Emery – something barely imaginable during Steven Gerrard’s reign.
Fans are often beaten over the head with a very large stick to dismiss their concerns. “Be careful what you wish for,” the likes of Alan Shearer proudly proclaim. It’s nothing more than a lazy, reductive lens of looking at West Ham and it’s unlikely that Shearer would’ve liked hearing the same boring sentence as his beloved Newcastle yearned for change away from Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce to a prosperous, albeit controversial, Saudi ownership and a young and exciting head coach in Eddie Howe.
Crystal Palace fans were told the same too when it came to longtime manager Roy Hodgson’s departure. But the team’s performances under new head coach Oliver Glasner in comparison to its time with Hodgson in charge have been night and day.
Pundits often point to West Ham’s past attempts at trying to “kick on” following the move away from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium as the reason Moyes should stay in his post past this summer. Specifically, Manuel Pellegrini’s reign between 2018 and 2019 is singled out.
And to a certain extent, it’s a fair point. History can repeat itself and nothing is guaranteed in life – but West Ham shouldn’t let their past paralyse them from attempting to build towards a better future, especially considering the massive structural changes behind the scenes, with the football-savvy minds of Steidten and Mark Noble being leaned on to steer the ship in the right direction, as well as a less hands-on approach from majority owner David Sullivan.
Moyes did an exceptional job at West Ham – but like all good things, they must come to an end. And that end should be announced before the Hammers’ final home game, so that the club as a whole can pay tribute to Moyes’ successes and set sail on a new adventure.
