David Moyes facing huge October with West Ham getting twitchy over poor start
David Moyes faces a crucial month ahead with his West Ham future reportedly in jeopardy if the experienced boss cannot turn around the Hammers’ fortunes.
West Ham have endured a difficult start to the season after finishing seventh last term. The 59-year-old has done an excellent job turning around the club’s fortunes since his arrival in December 2019.
Moyes staved off relegation in his first season after arriving with the Hammers just a point ahead of the drop zone. He has since guided the club into Europe in consecutive seasons and was rewarded with a new deal until 2024.
But after some heavy investment in the transfer market this summer, Moyes has struggled to get his new men to gel. And the club sit in the relegation zone after just four points and one victory from their opening seven games.
The Telegraph reports that “there is not currently any sense of panic at West Ham” but if results do not improve that could change. And Moyes needs a result to kickstart the club’s season or else he faces a battle to keep his job.
The Times have run a similar story suggesting there is no desire at the present time to sack Moyes. But the next four games are believed to be pivotal in the season and for Moyes’ long-term future.
West Ham host Wolves at home on Saturday evening and a win over the men from Molineux will life the Londoners above their rivals. A defeat would see a five-point gap appear.
West Ham then play sixth-placed Fulham, 14th-placed Southampton, Liverpool and Bournemouth in a huge month for the club. It’s not stated exactly how many points the West Ham hierarchy are targeting. But a win over Wolves will no doubt be part of their thinking as they look to establish themselves in the top six.
The arrivals of Gianluca Scamacca for £30m and Lucas Paqueta for £51m have brought an increased expectation at the club. In fact the Hammers were the third highest spenders in the Premier League.
The Telegraph report claims “there has been a sense of frustration” that Scamacca, has only started one Premier League game.
Form a ’cause for concern’
West Ham legend Tony Cottee has admitted the club’s form is a worry after early-season defeats to Nottingham Forest, Everton and Brighton.
“It’s been a slow start to the season and I don’t see alarm bells ringing but it is a cause for concern,” the former West Ham striker told Cheeky Punter.
“I’m a West Ham fan, I go to the games and follow them. The problem [David] Moyes has got is that they have overachieved and when you do that it puts pressure on because fans expect it to happen again.”
The Hammers have had a tricky start to the season. But the defeats to Man City and Chelsea are not the issue. It’s the failure to perform against the lesser sides which has raised the stakes for October.
Moyes though has said he felt the club were losing form towards the end of last season.
“We felt we were dropping down last season,” he said recently. “I recognised it in February that we weren’t quite as strong, but the truth was we got to a European semi-final [in the Europa League] and we were challenging until the last 20 minutes of the season for sixth place.”
