West Ham United: Moyes’ Last Chance in the Premier League?
When David Moyes was removed from his position as Sunderland manager in May, few expected to see him back so soon.
Moyes’ time at the Black Cats was dismal. In 10 months at the club, his side played 43 games, winning only eight, starting out by setting a low bar, and ending it with relegation from the Premier League.
His stint was plagued with infighting, disillusion, and pitiful football, and his reputation was supposedly damaged beyond repair. Six months after he packed his bags and left Wearside, the Scot has returned. Moyes was unveiled as West Ham’s new manager, following the sacking of Slaven Bilic.
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Sir Alex’s Successor
On July 1, 2013, David Moyes was on top of the footballing world. After an impressive 11 year spell at Everton, he had been hand-picked by Sir Alex Ferguson to take over the helm at Manchester United.
The Red Devils signed him to a six-year contract, and the “Chosen One” prepared himself for the step up to the elite level of management. His years at Preston North End and Everton had prepared him for this moment.
We know how the story goes.
To say that Moyes failed to adapt to the demands of managing a Champions League level team is an understatement. Under his stewardship, United fell from champions to seventh, and were embarrassed at every turn.
Fired with four games left in the season, he left Manchester with his reputation in tatters, and a chip on his shoulder.
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Spell at Real Sociedad
Moyes returned to management in November 2014, but instead of finding another club in the UK, he decided to help steady the ship at Real Sociedad in La Liga.
He started positively at the Basque club, with early results reminding fans of his time at Everton. The jewel in the crown was a 1-0 win against Barcelona, a team that would go on to win the Champions League later that season.
He rescued La Real from relegation in his first season there, but a poor start to the following campaign left them near the foot of the table with two wins from the opening 11 games. Moyes had spent significantly in the summer to acquire new players, breaking their transfer record to re-sign Asier Illarramendi from Real Madrid.
Defeat at third-from-the-bottom Las Palmas, a team that had only won once before playing Real Sociedad, was the final straw. Moyes was fired for the second time in 19 months.
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Disaster at Sunderland
When Moyes was brought in to manage Sunderland, the last vestiges of his Everton spell still lingered. Over the course of the season, the remaining goodwill was drained.
Poor performances led to Moyes cancelling the players’ Christmas party, and discord grew as the manager made it clear that he thought the squad was not up to par.
Run-ins with coaching staff and the media plagued the Scot’s tenure, and the miraculous escape from relegation never materialised. The chip on his shoulder had now morphed into a ball-and-chain.
Moyes’ demeanour had changed from his time at Everton. His expression was permanently grim, his arms crossed, glaring from the sidelines. It did not inspire confidence. When Sunderland went down in May 2017, he left.
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Last Chance
There were surprised murmurs when Moyes was appointed West Ham’s new manager on November 7. Experienced managerial options were thin on the ground, but this appeared to be an act of desperation as the Hammers lounged in the relegation zone.
In his first press conference, Moyes spoke of having a “point to prove”. He is a changed man from the one that sat in the manager’s office at Old Trafford in July 2013. His failures are taking their toll, and another one might be the final nail in the coffin of his Premier League management career.