West Ham would need a very good reason not to reward David Moyes’s fine work with a new contract. If they waver they only need to think back to how the Scot’s first spell at the London Stadium ended. Instead of embracing the stability offered by Moyes, West Ham went for the glamorous option. They appointed Manuel Pellegrini, gave the Chilean a huge budget and ended up sacking him after 18 months of inconsistency left the side in relegation trouble. The grass isn’t always greener.
Moyes returned in Pellegrini’s place, preserved West Ham’s Premier League status and built a team with a hard-running identity. He finished sixth and seventh, bringing European football to east London for the first time since 2006.
It has not always been plain sailing. West Ham’s league form dipped in 2022, though allowances can be made for their run to the last four of the Europa League, and Moyes’s position came under serious threat. He would have been fired if West Ham had lost to Fulham last April. Many fans had seen enough. Some have never taken to Moyes’s pragmatic approach and will jump at any chance to criticise him. Outsiders detect more than a whiff of ingratitude.
Moyes is the man who led West Ham to their first trophy in 43 years. He charged down the touchline in Prague when Jarrod Bowen scored the winner against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final last June. Time to build the statue? Not quite. For much of last summer the talk was of tension between Moyes and West Ham’s new head of recruitment, Tim Steidten.
Against that backdrop it is unsurprising that, until a few weeks ago, the general feeling was that West Ham would let Moyes walk away when his contract expires at the end of the season. There was a yearning for Steidten, previously at Bayer Leverkusen, to scour Europe and unearth the next Roberto De Zerbi.
Only, Moyes has just taken West Ham into the last 16 of the Europa League. They have kicked on since selling 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, fresh from consecutive 2-0 wins over Arsenal and Manchester United. No wonder they are prepared to offer Moyes a two-and-a-half-year extension when talks over a deal are held this month.
It is not a done deal. Moyes, who was criticised for rotating 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 supporters calling him too negative. It is less than a month since his side 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 won at Arsenal last week it was impossible not to marvel at their defensive brilliance. Not every manager has to obsess over passing statistics. This season West Ham have beaten Chelsea, Tottenham, Brighton and Arsenal despite having under 30% possession. To some of Moyes’s critics, those wins are just freak occurrences. As if it is possible to pull them off without motivated players carrying out a good and experienced manager’s clever tactical plan.
West Ham make a lot out of 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 have flair. Lucas Paquetá is one of the best players in the league. Bowen has been outstanding since moving up front. Kudus, whose goals and dribbling will be missed while he is with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations, looks like a bargain at £38m from Ajax.
Of course, there will be a temptation to give those talents to a more expansive manager. Moyes is not perfect. Some of the games are dull and there are times when West Ham drop too deep. Strikers have found it tough in his system. Fans look enviously at the enterprising football played by Spurs under Ange Postecoglou, a manager 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 do not have the same resources as the teams around them, so they have to find another way. He references his years at Everton and talks about building over time.
The mind goes back to 2014-15 and a promising campaign fizzling out as West Ham let Sam Allardyce’s contract run down. Uncertainty is unhelpful. Moyes has pointed out that it could be a distraction for his players. He is gearing up for a strong second half to the season.
The risk is the mood changing before the summer. West Ham could give Moyes a deal now, then watch results dip and the fans grow restless again. The squad lacks quality cover in key areas. What if injuries bite? What if they finish in mid-table? West Ham would wonder if they should have gambled.
Even so Moyes is easily their best manager in the Premier League era. He has masterminded wins over big clubs and overseen some special nights in Europe. He secured legendary status after winning in Prague, an achievement that places him alongside Ron Greenwood and John Lyall in the club’s history. Moyes has earned more time. West Ham would have to be very sure that someone else could do a better job. They would be gambling if they let him go. They do not need another Pellegrini.
