When David Moyes first arrived at West Ham United in November 2017, the Hammers were in the relegation zone. He kept them up as Slaven Bilic's successor, but was not given the job beyond the end of the season.
Manuel Pellegrini replaced Moyes, but his tenure was not very successful. The Scotsman had to be parachuted in to save the Hammers from relegation once more in 2019. He then took the Hammers on many European adventures.
Moyes' side got to the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they lost to the eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt. He then won them the Europa Conference League in 2023. This was a huge achievement as it was the first major trophy the Hammers had won since the 1980 FA Cup.
Winning the Europa Conference League kept Moyes in the job, as the Hammers finished 14th in the Premier League that season. The following campaign saw West Ham finish ninth, but the style of play bored supporters. Moyes was offered a new contract mid-way through the season, which was then taken off the table. He left the club at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
West Ham United should have built on David Moyes' success
You often hear the phrase 'careful what you wish for' when it comes to West Ham's decision to replace Moyes. It is a fair point as West Ham are now fearing relegation. However, had West Ham got Moyes' successor right, then they would not be in this position.
Julen Lopetegui was not the right man to replace Moyes. West Ham also backed the Spanish coach with an array of big-name signings who turned out to be flops. German international Niclas Fullkrug and World Cup winner Guido Rodriguez are two players who never managed to live up to expectations at the London Stadium.
Graham Potter inherited a desperate situation from Lopetegui. However, who knows what Potter might have been able to build had he replaced Moyes directly and been able to bring in his own players. The spiral kept going, with Nuno Espirito Santo replacing Potter earlier in this campaign.
Nuno appears to have got West Ham in form and with a chance of staying up. They have made some good signings in January, notably Taty Castellanos. If the Hammers do avoid relegation, then they would have potential for at least a top 10 finish in the Premier League next season.