It’s a question that’s been asked before but is there anyone left who genuinely looks forward to watching West Ham play right now? Sure, there may be those who follow the results from a distance and take quiet satisfaction of seeing the team sitting sixth in the standings and having reached the last 16 of the Europa League. But does any fan who takes the time to watch games closely believe what they see is good value. That a game plan built on caution and attrition is worthy of the beautiful game. Does anyone ever say to their mates “Going to the game? I never get tired of watching West Ham’s resilience”?
David Moyes has been at West Ham for just over four years now. After a slow start, he hit a purple patch with a sixth place finish in his first full season. The swift counter-attacking football took opponents by surprise and, for a while, was exciting to watch. While the form carried over into the first half of the following season, West Ham had become a known quantity by now. Opponents worked that a high press cancelled out the counterattacking threat and without a tactical plan B, Moyes approach became increasingly cautious.
Fans desperate to see a fresh face and fresh ideas in the London Stadium technical area are routinely accused by the pundit community of being deluded or entitled. “Careful what you wish for” is the stock response. West Ham supporters should be grateful they are not in a relegation battle. That showing greater ambition would without question replace grim one goal victories with assured 4-3 defeats. Media outlets likewise are loathe to be critical of the manager, fearing losing access for their next big story. Even so, some have started to openly admit that watching West Ham is not easy on the eye – although preferring to describe the style as pragmatic, rather than boring. The well-worn phrase that football is a results business misses the point that it is also meant to entertain.
The elephant in the dressing room is, of course, the Europa Conference league win. After 43 trophy-less years it was amazing to experience the club winning something again. For many supporters it would have been a first ever taste of success. But in the cold light of day we cannot ignore the relative strength of the competition that we were in. The scenes in Prague at the end of the night and in east London the following day demonstrated how much it meant to the Hammer’s faithful. But Moyes can’t dine out on that result forever in the face of growing fan unrest. Surely, the Board are aware of that.
This season has been a weird one in many respects. It almost came as a surprise to find us sitting in sixth place at the turn of the year, so unremarkable were our performances. There have been several notable results – winning away at Brighton, Tottenham and Arsenal were all unexpected– that owed much to dogged defensive resistance. But in very few of the ten league wins to date have West Ham been a dominant force. They say that a good team needs to know how to win ugly, but it shouldn’t be the default model.
The Hammers remain without a win in 2024. Having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship opposition, they have drawn each of their three Premier League games. They were outplayed by both Brighton and Bournemouth at the London Stadium and despite being rightly aggrieved at the poor refereeing in Sheffield, did not deserve to come away with more than a point on the balance of play. With games against Manchester United and Arsenal on the horizon, the chances of extending the stay in the sunlit uplands of the top six may very well be limited.
There are parallels between this season and 2021/22 where the team were also handily placed to push on as the January transfer window opened. Just as the club failed to act then, little was achieved this time around either, aside from the loan signing of Kalvin Phillips. Even more unexpectedly, a squad which was woefully thin anyway was allowed to become a net three lighter following the belated departures of Said Benrahma and Pable Fornals. Both players clearly went backwards during their time at West Ham – did they become worse players or simply get disillusioned – but have still been among the most used substitutes from the bench this term. Is Moyes now going to turn to youth or just make even fewer in-game changes?
The team selection for the Bournemouth game was bizarre to say the least. The decision to select all his favourites even if it meant playing them out of position must have seemed a good idea in the manager’s head. Would none of his assistants dare challenge him on the madness of putting JWP on the left wing and pushing Tomas Soucek forward as a Number 10? That Kalvin Phillips might be a tad ring rusty came as no surprise to the average fan but was apparently beyond an experienced manager with a thousand plus games under his belt. In fairness the real culprit for the Bournemouth goal was Kurt Zouma but digging out Phillips made for a better headline.
Sunday sees Moyes take his Hammers side to Old Trafford to face an erratic Manchester United side. The Red Devils victory in their topsy-turvy midweek encounter with Wolves moved them to within a point of West Ham. Moyes has never won as a manager at Old Trafford in 17 attempts and Carlos Tevez was the last Hammer to score a league winner there in 2007.
It is not difficult to predict that we will see a backs to the wall low West Ham block which will be described as a defensive masterclass if we win, but as tame surrender if we lose. Definitely less than 30% possession and fewer that ten touches in the opposition box – mostly headers.
I can see Moyes dropping Phillips to the bench for this one, allowing Soucek to drop back and Danny Ings to reprise his Bramall Lane role behind Jarrod Bowen. The most probable outcome is a comfortable home win unless further heroics from Alphonse Areola and Mohammed Kudus earn a point as they did on Thursday. It could well be the start of a Hammers slide down the table and its not difficult to imagine being overtaken by Manchester United, Newcastle, Brighton, and Chelsea before the season is out. It really is time for a change. COYI!
Under The Hammers 
Another spot on article, Geoff, although gave up my season ticket couple of years back. To be honest, I won’t even watch them on tv at the moment as whatever is going on on that pitch, isn’t football ! Reading, Moyes is in talks about extending his contract. If this happens & fans renew their seasons then more fool them – loyalty is one thing, but it cuts both ways and supporters do like to see their team getting in opposition half occasionally !! When I think of the Boleyn and how opposing teams hated coming there because of the atmosphere created by the home fans, we’re a far cry away now. My mate, who is a current season ticket holder said you can hear a pin drop at times, would never believe you could associate that with West Ham fans.
I have a feeling we’re going to drop like a stone, soon, as Moyes has been very lucky with a lot of results and I think a few more good hidings are on the horizon.
I never want the Hammers to lose any game, but probably the only way the board might review their stance on Moyes is a poor run of results.
All the best
Ken
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Hi Ken, It seems implausible to me that Moyes would be handed a new contract. There is no meaningful way forward for the club with him at the helm. He is not great tactically, has no vision and no ability to develop players. He has had some short term success but that’s the most you will get out of someone like him. His approach is totally at odds with what Tim Steidten can offer. The only way forward for the club without massive external investment is to find young talent (including from the academy), develop them and (probably) sell at a profit.
The Boleyn was a unique atmosphere when it was rocking. It can’t be recreated at the London Stadium but serve up something to get the crowd off their feet and it can still create a buzz.
Like you, I never want West Ham to lose but something needs to tip the balance with the Board. Giving Moyes a new contract would be so depressing
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Hi Geoff, brilliant. I ‘prayed’ that M would leave after Euro success with all the kudos of making WH great!!!!!! (against Championship standards in Europe) and for the short period when their football was great after Linguard joined. As you point out once the opposition had sorted out our new style that was then end for M so far as watchable soccer. If Cornet and Ings are to be part of immediate future, after not being sellable, why has he only now discovered this. Yes M must be replaced at least by contract end but a new manager sorted NOW and not the usual panic and “no suitable replacement” near end of summer break. Regards Michael Batchelor
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Hi Michael, I agree, it would have been a perfect time to part company. The club could move forward and Moyes could get a job somewhere more suited to his abilities better with a shiny new trophy on his CV at last. The Board must realise how unpopular Moyes is with the majority of fans. It would be scandalous to give him a new deal in those circumstances. If only, I had more faith in them picking a replacement. Geiff
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There’s a kind of inverse proportion between the quality of the team’s play and the excellent, entertaining analysis you and Richard provide in Under the Hammers! Excellent stuff, keeps me almost sane after freezing through that misery the other night.
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Ha ha! It is always easier to channel the inner grumpy old man in these articles when things are going badly. But watching the performances recently has been miserable hasn’t it. The irony is there is a talented group of players there (albeit lacking strength in depth) if only they were allowed to express themselves. Keep the faith – and keep warm!
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It’s quite a roll-call: Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus, Alvarez, Areola and Emerson + I hopefully, Mavropanos once he gets settled, and Philips if he can gear up). Against that we have the sight of Soucek as no. 10, the sufferings of Ings, Zouma looking close to collapse, and a bench of barely tested kids. There again we could spring a surprise tomorrow via Areola heroics and the irrepressible Kudus. Let’s hope so. COYI
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It’s a very decent first eleven. But can they all keep fit? Moyes unusual approach to substitutions doesn’t allow fringe players room to develop or maintain match fitness. Phillips is a very good player and just needs time. Mavropanos should also be OK when he gets used to the extra intensity of Premier League football. We are just very exposed to injuries and Zouma’s fitness is on borrowed time.
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Let’s hope as many as possible can stay fit. I was very pleased for Fornals, by the way, who has a lot of skill and heart, and deserves his chance after gamely playing out of position for DM. During his time as a Hammer he played more games (202) than Fabianski has (188), which surprised me.
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I was never fully convinced by Pablo as a Premier League player. Great guy and fabulous attitude but not quite at the level of pace and consistency required to excel. Some great defence splitting through balls one minute and not being able to complete a simple 5 yard pass the next. A fair point that he may have been rarely used in his best position. Wish him well.
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Geoff, great piece, as always and, if anything, you are the voice of sanity.
I find it hard to be as calm as you appear to be. The on – pitch performances are one thing. The players are what they are and do what they can do. What drives me insane is the way that man ( I can’t mention his name any more) talks after our games – as though he has nothing to do with the abject performances or the paper thin squad. As though the untried youngsters and the older , but equally ineffective journeymen like Ings, Cornet, Soucek, Cresswell and Zouma were just obstacles to his eventual greatness, rather than the products of his hopeless forward planning. I mean anyone watching Zouma trying to get his body in position to pass the ball after two minutes of the game the other night would be shocked. I was, Moyse clearly isn’t. Five CM’s against Bournemouth – come on ! Set up to fail, with a desperate reliance on Areola, Kudus and Bowen to get us out of trouble.
Critics are silenced by talk of European “ triumphs”, as though we must be permanently grateful for winning cup against what have rightly even described as “ Championship sides” – at best. Many of them were not even that.
We have now stripped-out another three squad players, Kehrer, Benrahma and Fornals, leaving us even shorter of depth as some “ proper” European games loom on the horizon. “ Sell to buy” – what a surprise, we left it so late to give away ( rather than properly sell) our squad players , we didn’t have time to get anyone other than Phillips in. The idea of this man continuing beyond the end of this season fills me with dread. Surely we deserve better.
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I’ve been reading a few articles on the internet which state that many West Ham supporters are in favour of Moyes getting a new contract. I’d like to know who they are. I know we all have different opinions and perspectives and some may feel he has done a good enough job results wise but I’d be gobsmacked if anyone believes this is how football should be played. And it always irritates me when people say that football is a results business as if it were an incontrovertible truth. There is more to it than that and who is to say that this group of players shouldn’t be doing even better. Villa’s thrashing of Sheffield United puts our tame draw into realistic perspective.
I do fear that Sullivan will offer Moyes a new contract unless results take a drastic turn for the worse. So what do we wish for now?
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And a very valid point that Moyes gives the impression that the performance of a team that he has assembled, selected and coached has nothing to do with him
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Hi Geoff, saw your Guardian comment re:-Gigi Riva. It echoed my thoughts on his passing (this mortal coil rather than to the wing). The Christie hit of that Summer sang in praise of the man we heard frequently in the bars of Mallorca throughout those drunken days, great memories. If only The Hammers could sign someone with his eye for a goal rather than yet another DMF.
All the best mate
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Hi Dave, yes it was sad to hear of Gigi’s passing. Another one of the heroes of our youth who have been checking out with increasing regularity in recent years. I hope all is good with you. I tried to contact you on FB several times but I guess you have sensibly knocked that on the head. I’ll catch up with you on email if that is OK? Geoff
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Hi Geoff, good to hear from you. Yes i gave up on facebook several years ago. I occasionally have a peek when a major life or death event occurs with friends & family.
Lost a couple of good ones last year including Pat White who you may remember from our sixth form days. I guess that’s just the way it is at this stage of life. Hope all’s well with you and by all means keep in touch via e-mail. All the best 😀
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