West Ham supporters got what they wanted when Manuel Pellegrini was sacked, but with David Moyes appointed the elation ended quickly. How can Moyes win over the Irons faithful and reshape his inherited team?
Winning over the supporters
David Moyes has replaced Slaven Bilic, a beloved character in West Ham lore, and now Manuel Pellegrini, a league winning revered manager. He’s clearly won over the board to be the man replace both of these predecessors but the majority of supporters are skeptical if not furious with his appointment. So, how can Moyes win over the Hammers faithful?
There are two answers to this question – outline a plan for success, and prioritize the FA Cup. An outline is needed because with Pellegrini the team looked disjointed and underprepared. From prematch scouting of the opposition, to transfer targets and strategies, to tactical fluidity Moyes needs to be forthcoming with information when necessary (to the supporters) and needs to be constantly iterating on tactics and his own managerial beliefs to stay fresh and relevant.
Prioritizing the FA Cup is a need. This is as much a necessity as avoiding relegation is as the club is desperate for a serious Cup run. The hunt for silverware for West Ham will likely be in these domestic tournaments, so throwing everything he has into the match against Gillingham will be a good start for him. Look for this match to be brought up in his press conference and expect a full-force team to be assembled for the game.
Reforging the Hammers
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Something Moyes has ahead of any other managerial appointment is familiarity. He is well-liked by David Gold, knows the board, the backbone of the team, the stadium, the training facilities, and the expectations of the supporters. He’s been here before and this could be crucially important in his limited time job of reshaping the first team.
He can do this by literally reshaping the team. We were forced to watch a 4-2-3-1 get marched out week after week under Manuel Pellegrini, for him to switch to a dual striker 4-4-2 just in time to try and save his job. Well, with Moyes expect three center-backs and overlapping wingbacks playing counterattacking football. To face Bournemouth I’d imagine we get treated to a 5-3-2 or 3-5-2 formation, keeping the Sebastien Haller and Michail Antonio partnership together to lead the attack.
Arthur Masuaku was very important under Moyes as a left wingback so look for him and Ryan Fredericks to be leaned on as more offensive outlets rather than defensive flankers under Moyes. The Lanzini renaissance under Moyes also suggests that he along with Felipe Anderson and Pablo Fornals could all be key players in this new system.
Moyes will probably emphasize defense-first football and lean on his attackers’ natural talent to carry the offense forward in the short term. As it stands, results are what supporters want from this football club. The top half of the table isn’t unattainable; if Moyes can galvanize the team and get the team playing inspired, smart football there is no reason why he and his team can’t be successes this season.