West Ham United may have found David Moyes' replacement
West Ham United is in the midst of what can best be described as a polarizing time in the club's history. Manager David Moyes led West Ham to its first-ever UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2022-23, as well as a Europa League semifinal appearance in 2021-22.
Despite already securing eight more points in the Premier League table than it was able to a year ago, however, West Ham United may very well move on from Moyes this coming summer.
Moyes told reporters in February that he has been offered a new contract by West Ham's ownership group. Moyes went on to say that he would wait until the end of the season before deciding whether or not he would re-sign.
According to David Ornstein and Dan Sheldon of The Athletic, West Ham are putting contingencies in place in case Moyes ultimately chooses to decline the offer—and have gone as far as meeting with Sporting CP manager Rúben Amorim about potentially replacing Moyes.
"Amorim, 39, travelled to London on Monday for further conversations with West Ham’s representatives. Sporting Lisbon players are not back in training until Thursday as they have been given Tuesday and Wednesday off.
Another option the east London side have assessed is Julen Lopetegui, however Amorim has emerged as the leading target at present."
Regardless of what Moyes, 60, chooses to do, West Ham could have compelling options in terms of how to proceed beyond 2023-24.
Amorim has experienced resounding success at Sporting, thus earning the interest of the Premier League side. The 39-year-old led his club to the Primeira Liga title in 2021-22 and helped it win the Taça de Liga in back-to-back seasons: 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Amorim has also been named Manager of the Month on eight separate occasions, which is especially impressive considering he's only been manager since 2020.
In terms of how he's currently faring, Sporting CP sits atop the Primeira Liga table in 2023-24. With a record of 26-2-2 through 30 games, Amorim's club has put up 80 points—keeping it seven points clear of second-place Benfica and 18 points clear of third-place FC Porto with four games remaining.
With a goal differential of +60, there has been no team more dominant in Portugal's top league than Sporting up to this point in the season.
West Ham, meanwhile, has been the epitome of erratic. Its Europa Conference League title was balanced out by a 14th-place finish in the Premier League in 2022-23, which created a great deal of pressure for Moyes to deliver in the EPL in 2023-24.
West Ham has already surpassed its mark of 40 points in 2022-23 by reaching 48 through 34 matches played in 2023-24, but it also has a goal differential of -9.
Furthermore, West Ham has competed in two more matches than Newcastle United, which sits at sixth in the table at 50 points. As such, the apparent deficit of just two points is less manageable than it seems—on brand with the general tone of Moyes' tenure at the club.
There have been exceptional highs under Moyes' watch, but the team has failed to find consistency despite its talent and fleeting success.
Tensions have reached an all-time high following recent losses to Fulham and Crystal Palace. Not only did West Ham falter when presented with an opportunity to climb the table, but it was outscored by a combined margin of 7-2 by teams it was meant to be better than.
All of this, coupled with Moyes' indecision, has ultimately resulted in West Ham being forced to potentially make the choice for him.
By replacing Moyes with Amorim, the club would be committing to a younger coach whose tactics have drawn praise the world over. He's helped Viktor Gyökeres tap into his remarkable potential and could do the same for the likes of Lucas Paquetá, Mohammed Kudus, and Jarrod Bowen.
With just four matches remaining for both West Ham and Sporting CP, a decision is looming that will forever alter both clubs' trajectories.