West Ham are giving fresh consideration to parting company with David Moyes, increasing the pressure on the manager before Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina.
In a sign of indecision at the club, it is understood confidence around Moyes staying has waned since the Premier League season ended. Sources have indicated the Scot’s future could depend on West Ham winning a first major trophy in 43 years.
It is a fluid situation and, as recently as last week, the expectation was that Moyes would stay after leading West Ham to their first European final since 1976. There were positive noises from the board after the semi-final victory over AZ Alkmaar. West Ham also won their battle against relegation.
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A final decision is yet to be made and West Ham are looking at potential replacements. It is felt it would be impossible to make a change if West Ham beat Fiorentina in Prague. Defeat would not automatically lead to Moyes’s departure but it would put a different complexion on the season.
West Ham, who have considered Brendan Rodgers, Graham Potter, Paulo Fonseca and at least one unidentified manager, had a disappointing league campaign and finished 14th despite spending about £160m last summer. There is dissatisfaction at board level with many of the signings. West Ham are looking to bring in a director of football and potential candidates have been informed Declan Rice will be sold this summer.
Bayern Munich’s interest in Rice has led Thomas Tuchel to speak to the midfielder but the West Ham captain is reluctant to leave England and Arsenal remain favourites to sign him. Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle are also interested.
Moyes has credit in the bank after leading West Ham to sixth place in 2021 and seventh a year later. Winning the Conference League would earn entry into next season’s Europa League. The squad has stuck behind Moyes, who has not lost the dressing room.
However the manager has come close to being sacked at least twice this season. It is understood there were plans for Rafael Benítez to replace him if West Ham had lost to Everton in January. Moyes would have gone if West Ham had been beaten by Fulham at the start of April.
A key problem has been complaints over Moyes’s tactics, which are perceived as overly cautious. On Friday , Moyes was asked to respond to claims from Michail Antonio that the Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca has struggled because he is not enough of a fighter for West Ham’s physical style. Scamacca, who will miss the final with a knee injury, has made little impact since joining from Sassuolo for £35.5m last summer.
Antonio, who could push to leave, told the Filthy Fellas podcast: “He’s a quality player. The problem is, he can’t play the way the gaffer plays. He needs a different type of manager to play his type of football. You can see it, when the ball comes into him it sticks and he’s tidy. But the way David Moyes plays, if you’re up front you’re dealing with scraps and you’ve got to be more of a fighter.”
Moyes said: “I’ve got no issues with Gianluca. Gianluca is a terrific player, a really good footballer, someone who we really like but unfortunately, he’s been hit with injuries for periods of this season. Micky has his own opinions but we’re not getting into that.”
Moyes dismissed suggestions he could decide to leave on a high if West Ham beat Fiorentina. He also gave short shrift to suggestions he could replace Ange Postecoglou at Celtic if the Australian goes to Tottenham.
Vincenzo Italiano, Fiorentina’s manager, has said his side could try to disrupt West Ham’s counterattacking game with tactical fouls. “That would be down to the referees to sort that out,” Moyes said.
