West Ham are understood to be on the verge of appointing David Moyes as their new manager following the decision to dispose of Slaven Bilic.
It promises to be the worst appointment since Moyes was appointed by Sunderland. And by Real Sociedad. And by Manchester United.
Quite what the owners are thinking by turning to the Scot is tough to fathom. This is the stated aim of owners David Gold and David Sullivan: ‘We see this as an exciting opportunity to appoint a quality manager to the position to inject fresh ideas, organisation and enthusiasm into a very talented squad.’
Sorry, but Moyes is not the man for the job – for a multitude of reasons.
1. The fans won’t like it
A quick look on any West Ham message board or a conversation with any Hammer will tell you they don’t want Moyes. Now, simply listening to the fans is no way for a club to make decisions, but it should certainly be considered.
There was a toxic atmosphere at the London Stadium on Saturday when West Ham lost 4-1 to Liverpool – or at least there was until everyone left well before the final whistle.
A new appointment could raise the spirits which in turn could inspire the team on the pitch. But Moyes won’t do that.
2. His record since Everton is atrocious
During his 11 years at Goodison Park there is no argument that Moyes did a fine job – recognised by three LMA Manager of the Year awards. But that was a lifetime ago.
He’s since failed at Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland – and got progressively worse in the process. His win percentage at Old Trafford was 52.94%, which dropped to 28.57% when in Spain and was 18.6% at his most recent job at the Stadium of Light.
3. He got Sunderland relegated
When a club is in trouble and seeking a new manager, the idea is usually to employ someone with a record of staving off relegation – a Sam Allardyce-type figure. So turning to a man whose most recent experience was taking Sunderland down just last season feels bizarre.
Not only did Sunderland go down, they quit the Premier League with a whimper. They amassed just 24 points all season and had a goal difference of -40 as they finished bottom of the league.
4. So uninspiring
West Ham have a talented squad with a few flair players – the likes of summer signing Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini and Andre Ayew. They are the ones who can inspire West Ham back to winning ways.
But first they need to be inspired and will Moyes manage to do that? It’s hard to see.
The Hammers have been shown more yellow cards than any other side this season (24) which suggests there is a discipline and attitude problem that needs addressing as well. It’s obvious someone needs to take control.
But with Moyes expected to be employed on a short-term contract until the end of the season his authority with the players is undermined before he’s even started. That, and the numerous other reasons given here, is why his reign will be a short and unhappy one.
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