He brought silverware after a wait of more than 40 years and some very respectable places in the league, but David Moyes and West Ham have always felt like a bit of a marriage of convenience. He is not a manager whose football matches West Ham's philosophy, his tactics will never be fully accepted by many, and he is unable to get the best out of a team that increasingly does not fit his style. It is increasingly doubtful whether this will be possible.
The Hammers have been on a roll for the majority of this season, at one point locking themselves in the top six and making modest progress in Europe. It feels significant that this did not spark any serious talk about Moyes' new contract.
And now things have changed noticeably from shitty to dismal, with a 6-0 home defeat to Arsenal definitely at the bottom. I can't imagine it getting any worse from there.
But will it be meaningfully improved? Are we really at a point now where it's time for everyone to stop doing this? If not now, it will certainly be in the summer when Moyes' contract expires.
However, West Ham's timing may have been off. There are some very useful jobs available this summer, but Oddschecker's current list of West Ham's top 10 candidates has a number of names, led by Manchester United's candidate to be the next manager and candidate to take over. Names are listed. Liverpool's next manager. Hmm.
10) Jose Mourinho
I have to admit that it's nothing if not funny to pull Moyes out of the team mainly because of complaints about his tactics and then bring in Mourinho. On the plus side, he should at least be able to overcome their mutual dislike of Tottenham and forge an immediate bond with his fans.
9) Mark Noble
There is no doubt that he ticks the 'DNA' and 'know the club' boxes in West Ham's job description. He is currently the Hammers' sporting director, and while it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which he takes over on a temporary basis, similar to a modern-day Trevor Brooking, anything beyond that would seem like a leap.
8) Marcelo Bielsa
We will be happy to assist you with this. An infinitely charming and seductive manager, there is definitely some crossover with West Ham's self-proclaimed 'football academy' aesthetic, as he returns to squatting over a bucket at Barclays. It's basically going to be a lot of fun.
7) Gary O'Neill
He spent two and a half years at the club as a player and is currently impressing everyone as he climbs the ladder of management in the Premier League. It's not a completely ridiculous idea, but it leaves West Ham fans desperate to be fully satisfied with a manager whose reputation is growing but is built more on firefighting than glass ceiling-shattering qualities. It's hard to see.
6) Paulo Fonseca
The fateful summer that ended with Nuno, he was Tottenham's top choice for a while and certainly for West Ham fans he is easier to follow than Moyes Ball, no matter how effective he was at times. He certainly plays the type of football he can do. Newcastle and Aston Villa are also considering Fonseca before signing Eddie Howe and Unai Emery respectively, and the Lille manager appears to be close to the top of the pile for a clean manager the Hammers could theoretically attract. I feel that way.
5) Steve Cooper
Perhaps a club with a less reckless transfer policy than Nottingham Forest could absolutely do just fine, but is he a name attractive enough to warrant taking a chance on Moyes' safety? I don't know.
4) Michael Carrick
Another former Hammer has joined the management team and has impressed immensely with the Middlesbrough team. Unsurprisingly given the type of player he is thought to be suited to the job, West Ham's first (permanent) top-flight appearance will be a huge punt for everyone involved.
3) Will Still
The 31-year-old prodigy football manager is a West Ham fan and at some point some team offered him a job at Barclays, making him wonder just who this eccentric Belgian-born British parent is. It is clear that they will release an avalanche of content. I would still be pretty surprised at this point if it was West Ham, but we'll see.
2) Xabi Alonso
Oh, that's cute, it really is. Second favorite? How on earth did he become West Ham's second choice? There are really serious questions as to whether he wants to move away from the good results he had at Leverkusen. Next Liverpool manager. With all due respect, he's not going to West Ham, is he? “Something strange happened,” you might say. Yeah? Please name one. that's right.
1) Graham Potter
Now that seems much more appropriate. Could be crushed by Manchester UnitedSure, but if they stick with Erik ten Hag or look for something else, this seems like a very logical option for everyone. West Ham are a big enough club that it won't be a humiliatingly big setback for a manager who really has to make a decision after the disastrous situation at Chelsea. And West Ham, despite all the qualities, are not going to attract an elite coach without baggage. But they will certainly be able to rehabilitate a player who is firmly on the watch list of all members of the big six for the Brighton job.
