West Ham United are on the brink of relegation, and once again they need David Moyes to rescue them. Unless the Scot can mastermind a win against Tottenham on Sunday, the Hammers are down. Even a draw would leave them needing to beat Leeds United by 12 goals – a record margin that defies all evidence from their season.
Moyes saved West Ham from relegation twice and delivered a first major trophy in 43 years, but that did not stop the club from dismissing him for a second time in May 2024. The irony is not lost: West Ham have been in steady decline since deciding Moyes’s football was not exciting enough and seeking a manager who could deliver expansive results.
Moyes first arrived in November 2017 when West Ham were in the bottom three, steering them to 13th. They declined to extend his six-month deal, preferring Manuel Pellegrini, but returned to Moyes when Pellegrini’s second season unravelled. He kept them up again, leading to sixth- and seventh-placed finishes and the Europa Conference League trophy. Yet his style became too beige – built on solid defences and organised midfields – and the club moved on.
Julen Lopetegui lasted six months; Graham Potter eight. Now Nuno Espírito Santo is in charge, having sparked a fleeting recovery before a winless run left them seven points adrift. He briefly lifted them out of the relegation zone with six victories, but three successive defeats have left them on the brink. Nuno has maintained his routine, telling his players: “There’s no other thing you can impact, only yours, so what do you have to focus on? Your game.”
Jarrod Bowen, emblematic of West Ham’s rise under Moyes, was not selected for Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad. Nuno spoke to him, saying: “Life is like that, that some decisions you just have to respect. Jarrod doesn’t have to prove anything. He just has to be himself, the best of him.” If relegation comes, Bowen is likely to leave, along with other key players. Nuno, who signed a three-year contract in September, refused to discuss his future: “Our future is Sunday. After that we will assess everything.”
