David Moyes has proved many doubters wrong, and West Ham have significantly improved since his controversial return to the club.
When David Moyes was reappointed in January a lot of West Ham fans were left disappointed. The Scottish manager did keep the Hammers in the Premier League in his first stint but failed to impress the club’s fans. So when Moyes returned to the club replacing Manuel Pellegrini, many were left disappointed.
There were question marks over Moyes’s head as he had the worst ever win percentage as a West Ham manager before lockdown. After the losses against Wolves and Tottenham in ‘Project Restart‘ some fans were calling for him to get the sack. Moyes stayed however and with the help of Michail Antonio dragged the Hammers up the table to safety.
Since the club’s dramatic win against Chelsea in ‘Project Restart‘ the club has been on scintillating form. In the Premier League since the game against the Blues, Moyes’ side have won seven, drawn five and only lost four matches. West Ham have not had that sort of form since the 2015/16 season.
Speaking of which, this season is the Hammers best start to a season since the move to the London Stadium. Moyes has started to instil his philosophies on the side and at the same time reinventing the system of the team. The manager’s new five-back system has given the club something it hasn’t had in half a decade, an identity.
The Hammers lacked an identity under Manuel Pellegrini, Moyes has now created a hard-working, well-oiled machine. Moyes has insisted on player hard-workers who will run themselves into the ground for the team over players who are potentially more talented. The most obvious example of this is the selection of Antonio over Sebastien Haller.
Moyes has also proved to be effective in the transfer market. The players that have arrived under Moyes’ watch since his return have been exceptional. Darren Randolph, Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen, Vladimir Coufal and Said Benrahma have all improved the squad. Though Benrahma still needs more game time.
Moyes has bought quality over quantity and cleared a lot of the deadwood out the club. What is even more impressive about the business done under Moyes’ watch is that he has not been given substantial backing from the board.
The club must decide soon whether or not to give Moyes a new contract. The manager’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season. While there may not be a long queue for Moyes, the club must act sooner rather than later and give him a fresh two-year-deal.
With Moyes in charge, West Ham can finally become a stable Premier League club. The scot might not take the club to European football but can become a team that won’t be threatened by relegation. Moyes is the man to set things up for when the club is ready to push on in a few years time.