If this is the end of David Moyes at West Ham United, and it now seems almost certain that it will be, the Scot deserves a much better send-off than the one his players are currently giving him. Moyes will forever be known as one of West Ham’s greatest managers, but the last few weeks have been more befitting of an unloved caretaker manager than a man of his stature.
This Chelsea beating was embarrassing for the West Ham players and, by natural extension, also for Moyes. Not for the first time in recent games, they lacked the basic ingredients needed to compete in a Premier League game, and the reaction of their fans was indicative of the wider mood: with half an hour remaining in the game, the visiting team were practically empty.
The London derbies cast an unforgiving light on West Ham last month. At home to Fulham in April, they lost 2-0. Away at Crystal Palace, a week later, they conceded five goals. Here, against a Chelsea team that could play football at a walking pace, they conceded five again.
A run of one win in 10 matches is a statistical explanation for why Moyes, whose contract expires at the end of this season, should not stay. This season is winding down, and in fact, it’s now threatening to get a little ugly.
At the final whistle, Moyes immediately ran down the tunnel. Kevin Nolan, one of his assistant coaches, then appeared to briefly quarrel with Kurt Zouma, the West Ham captain. Zouma also went straight to the dressing room, rather than the remaining fans in the away area. It wasn’t a good look.
Evidently, this is not a happy field. Last week, technical director Tim Steidten was told to stay away from first-team areas because it was decided it would be better prevent him from crossing Moyes’ path. Steidten, as you see, is currently working to find potential replacements for Moyes (former Wolves Julen Lopetegui is considered by some to be the leading candidate).
So it was a delicate and awkward moment for everyone involved, and it was difficult to avoid the conclusion that the players know this is the end for Moyes. This was not evidence of a team fighting for their manager. The defensive organization was non-existent, they were weak at set pieces and, in the end, the majority had simply stopped running.
“Players not in their positions, getting out of position, opening themselves up too easily,” said Moyes, who added that the loss of Declan Rice was the main reason for his side’s away defeats this season.
“We lacked toughness, leadership. The manager will always take responsibility because that is what you do in this job. You have to prepare them and get them right. At some point, players will have to take responsibility for doing their job by being tough to play against, aggressive and competitive.”
Moyes, as he said, is not innocent. He may have sent a team to win a European trophy a year ago, but here he also sent a team with no discernible plan for how to deal with Cole Palmer. Just as one is worthy of praise, the other will attract criticism.
Since a fantastic victory over Arsenal at the end of December, West Ham have won just three of their 17 league games. Some kind of change is necessary, and a split between Moyes and the club seems natural and inevitable. The form of this separation, however, threatens to be much darker than anyone would like or deserve.
