West Ham – Are overindulgent Irons to blame for ‘Moyes Out’ movement?

Three defeats on the bounce, 11 goals conceded, zero scored. The statistics make for grim reading for West Ham fans who haven’t seen their side win in 2024. Back-to-back 2-0 victories over Manchester United and Arsenal at the end of December feel like a lifetime ago with the Irons now in the midst of an eight-game winless run that has included a 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, and an FA Cup exit at the hands of mid-table Championship side Bristol City.

David Moyes’ position as manager is under intense scrutiny as the club’s malaise shows no signs of abating. It’s not the first time the Scot has faced the wrath of the East End faithful at the London Stadium, but results have never been as bad as they are now.

The former Manchester United boss delivered West Ham their first European trophy less than nine months ago, but with the cries from supporters growing ever louder, how much credit is really left in the bank?

It’s fair to say that Moyes is a manager that has divided opinion over recent years, particularly within his own fanbase. The decision to reappoint him as West Ham boss in December 2019 drew howls of derision from many of those of a Claret and Blue persuasion in East London, with the move seen as uninspiring to say the least.

But the three-time LMA Manager of the Year winner overcame his doubters to keep the club in the Premier League during a turbulent 2019-20 campaign before leading them to a record points total the following season, when they qualified for the Europa League. Another top-seven finish followed, alongside a European semi-final appearance, before Moyes led the Hammers to victory in the 2023 Europa League Conference Final.

Following that success, the 60-year-old then had to deal with the departure of his talismanic captain Declan Rice, who generated a £100m fee when he was sold to Arsenal. Despite the midfielder’s exit, West Ham made an impressive start to the current campaign, taking ten points from their first four games, and a run of six wins from eight in the league across November and December - as well as topping their Europa League group - saw reports emerge of an imminent contract extension for Moyes.

Talks over a two-and-a-half-year extension have now been delayed, however, according to more recent reports. West Ham’s alarming form has seen them drop out of top-six contention, with Manchester United - who trailed the Irons by two points at the start of the New Year - now eight clear of the London club in sixth. That’s despite West Ham beating several Premier League rivals for the loan signature of Kalvin Phillips in January, and having some favourable fixtures.

It’s early days, but the signing of Phillips has, so far, been nothing short of a disaster. The Manchester City midfielder has barely featured under Pep Guardiola since joining from Leeds United in the summer of 2022, and his lack of match-fitness has been noticeable at the London Stadium. Phillips was at fault for a goal inside three minutes on his debut against Bournemouth, and the following three games have produced just one start, three yellow cards, and one red.

Considering the options West Ham already had in the middle of midfield with Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Tomas Soucek all entrenched in the side, and Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus also capable of operating in central areas, one has to question the acquisition of Phillips.

A more pressing area of concern for the Irons is in attack, where Jarrod Bowen has been deployed as a central striker in the absence of Michail Antonio and distrust of Danny Ings. As such, with Paqueta and Kudus recently missing games - the Brazilian has missed seven of the last eight through injury, while the latter was at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana throughout January - Moyes has been forced to start the likes of Maxwel Cornet and Ben Johnson in attacking positions. Cornet has scored one goal in 19 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, while defender Johnson hasn’t found the net since October 2021.

So, can Moyes really be blamed for failing to coax goals out of a team shorn of forwards? Paqueta, in particular, has been a huge miss, with the club failing to win any of the seven league games he has missed this season. “We’ve missed Lucas loads,” Moyes admitted last week.

The 26-year-old is nearing a return to fitness, though, and just in time, as the Irons gear up for games against three relegation candidates. First up is Brentford at the London Stadium on Monday night before weekend fixtures against Everton (A) and Burnley (H). Failure to take at least seven points from those would surely leave Moyes’ job in an almost untenable position, and there is the added pressure of a two-legged Europa League tie either side of a clash against the Clarets.

Moyes deserves to at least see through the end of West Ham’s European campaign, though. Leicester City weren’t so kind in 2016 when Claudio Ranieri, on the back of leading the Foxes to an unthinkable Premier League title, was dismissed before a Champions League Round of 16 second-leg against Sevilla.

But unlike the East Midlands club, the Irons aren’t in any danger of relegation. A top-six finish looks like a tough ask now, but seventh place - which could grant a Europa Conference League berth - is certainly achievable, with Brighton only two points ahead at the moment, and other rivals for that position - Newcastle United and Chelsea - suffering with lengthy injury lists of their own.

The question is whether West Ham stick or twist now. The ‘Moyes Out’ brigade will argue that they are a declining force, and that if the results aren’t there, what does the Scot really offer? The football can be, at times, pretty turgid, especially without the likes of Paqueta and Kudus, and that’s been matched by some defensive comments in the media which have suggested the fans have been spoiled under his stewardship.

Those looking from the outside, particularly from fans of clubs like Crystal Palace, who have endured mid-table mediocrity for years, will echo Moyes' sentiments. With the ‘Big Six’ seemingly miles ahead financially, and Newcastle United looking to join that exclusive club, what more can Hammers expect? Finishing in the top 10 and advancing in Europe has to represent some form of success for West Ham.

Perhaps, at the end of the season, the club’s hierarchy can look to inject new life into the team. Moyes’ second spell at the Irons has lasted over four years, a long period for a manager at any level nowadays, and a refresh might be what all parties need.

But ‘Moyesiah’ surely deserves to see out what still has the potential to be another historic campaign for West Ham, who are seven games away from another European trophy.

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