David Moyes sack decision made at West Ham United after 5-0 defeat at Fulham
David Moyes will not be sacked by West Ham in the wake of the 5-0 loss at Fulham as he still “retains the backing” of the board, according to The Mirror.
The paper reported via their website on 11 December, a day after the thrashing at Craven Cottage, that the Scot is expected to see out the remainder of the season at the London Stadium.
However he is “unlikely” to be given a new contract extension and is in line to leave the club in the summer when his current deal expires.
The heavy defeat to Marco Silva’s side partly attributed to illness which affected the squad in the run up to the game, while Moyes also pointed to the clash coming so soon after the 2-1 Thursday night victory away at Tottenham.
According to The Mirror the West Ham board believe the manager can still produce improved form with the club still fighting on four fronts, but the “expectation” is that he will go at the end of the season.
Inactivity
It looks like West Ham are going to follow a similar path to last season with questions trailing Moyes every time the team produces a poor performance.
The board resisted making a change throughout the previous campaign despite relegation being a realistic concern for months, and it often felt like a passive decision rather than an active one.
Despite the domestic failings Moyes responded to lift the Europa Conference League trophy in May, but whether the hierarchy stumbled into that benefit or planned for it is surely up for debate.
If David Sullivan and company are content to ride out the rest of the season and hope for the best then perhaps Moyes can spring another surprise and win another trophy.
In the Premier League it feels like West Ham have probably plateaued under the 60-year-old, and the ongoing feeling that the club aren’t 100% behind him but can’t fully convince themselves there is a better answer can’t be helpful.
The situation ultimately appears not to have changed hugely for some months, with Moyes requiring full backing if he is to stay and have a chance of being successful on his own terms but the hierarchy having half an eye on an alternative path.
Some of the signings in the past two years, as well as the influential arrival on Tim Steidten, suggest a different outlook that still hasn’t been committed to fully.
However, it looks like it would require a major collapse during the season to see anything change, with all eyes on the summer for the potential end of an era.
In other West Ham news, Moyes is “actively” pushing for a new signing in January and Steidten has his eye on a man for the job.