‘Be careful what you wish for’, warns Troy Deeney as West Ham face tricky decision over parting ways with David Moyes
I BET West Ham fans who want to see the back of David Moyes are sick of hearing the phrase: ‘Be careful what you wish for’.
But if the Hammers do part ways with one of the most successful managers in their history when his contract expires this summer, then they are going to have to spend at least £200million to overhaul their squad.
Moyes often says West Ham fans have never had it this good over a three or four-year period — and he is right.
Under the Scots, they have finished sixth and seventh in the Premier League, won a European trophy, reached another European semi-final and are through to the last 16 of this season’s Europa League, while still in the top half of the table.
What more do Hammers fans realistically want?
Well, what they want is a more expansive, entertaining possession-based style.
And the problem for the elder statesmen of management, including Moyes, is that supporters see plenty of English clubs with new-school coaches preaching a more watchable brand of football.
They can also see managers who have a greater connection with their players and supporters, by being more animated on the touchline.
Your average football fan is a lot more educated than ten or 20 years ago because of the amount of quality analysis there is about tactics and other aspects of the industry.
It is easier than ever for supporters to regard bosses like Moyes — an excellent coach with an impressive CV — as cautious, negative and outdated.
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If his teams are winning, supporters are happy. Look at the Christmas period when West Ham beat Manchester United and Arsenal in back-to-back matches.
But the problem with Moyes’ style of football is that, when his team isn’t winning, it looks terrible.
Never more so than West Ham’s 6-0 hiding at home to Arsenal last Sunday, prompting half of the London Stadium to empty by half-time.
West Ham have not won any of their seven games this year, so I understand why fans don’t want to hear all that ‘careful what you wish for’ talk.
But if the club’s owners — who tend to be a lot more patient than most — decide to make a change this summer, then they are going to have to commit to a complete overhaul of the playing staff or risk being dragged back into the relegation picture.
Because the current West Ham squad — while experienced and successful under Moyes — simply is not suited to playing expansive football.
Go through the squad and see how many players would be wanted by the ‘Big Six’. Probably only Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, and they might only be squad players at an elite club.
Against Arsenal, West Ham looked horribly confused, which is not like a Moyes team.
With the ball, there didn’t appear to be any sort of plan — we were seeing Kurt Zouma lumping the ball into the corner, for instance.
And without the ball, they did not press properly and simply could not cope with Arsenal.
When a top-flight team gets an absolute drubbing, it is always primarily to do with a lack of application.
I can safely predict that Moyes’ men will be self-motivated to make amends when they visit Nottingham Forest today. As a player, you can lose a game narrowly and blame bad luck, the manager or certain team-mates.
But when you take a drubbing, you are always embarrassed, you are forced to take a long, hard look at yourself.
West Ham’s players will have trained with 100 per cent intensity this week.
Moyes won’t have over-analysed the Arsenal game with them. With a defeat as bad as that, it’s only really worth picking out a few smaller details to specifically improve things at Forest.
Those players will know they have to increase their application levels significantly to avoid going under at the City Ground.
Despite seeing thousands of punters pouring out of the London Stadium at half-time last week, there is no point moaning about the ground any more.
It is almost eight years since the Hammers left Upton Park — I remember as I am the last man ever to have missed a penalty at their old home!
As a visiting player you could feel the atmosphere and hostility at Upton Park, whereas at the London Stadium you feel far more comfortable.
But that’s gone, West Ham made a bold leap into a bigger modern ground — which is by no means perfect for football but which allows them to dream bigger in the long-term.
Now the owners must decide whether to make another bold move by parting with Moyes.
But if they want to be as successful under another manager as they have been with him, then it will cost serious money.