David Moyes to leave West Ham United claims Danny Murphy amid ‘perfect’ verdict
Danny Murphy believes David Moyes should leave West Ham United at the end of the 2022/23 season.
The Scot has been under intense scrutiny during the majority of the campaign but saw the pressure from the board ease after the Hammers’ 1-0 win over Fulham (Sky Sports, 9 April).
It’s believed Moyes is likely to be the man to remain in charge for the remainder of the Premier League season, with the hierarchy sticking by their man through thick and thin.
Despite the board’s reluctance to sack the 59-year-old, Murphy would like to see a new man take the reins at the London Stadium despite him considering Moyes “perfect” to keep the club in the top flight.
“Even if Moyes keeps West Ham up and even if he leads them to lift the Europa Conference League, it will be the right time for the two to part ways,” wrote Murphy (Mail on Sunday column, pg 98, 16 April).
“Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, I would be very surprised to see him there at the start of next season.”
Makes sense
This is the scenario everyone is hoping for. Get through to the end of the season and then reassess the situation. It will allow the Scot to depart the London Stadium with his head held high and still remembered fondly by the West Ham faithful.
He will, of course, want to remain in charge. He’s proven the doubters wrong before and will be confident in his ability to produce something similar. However, considering the disappointment of the 2022/23 campaign, a change is certainly required.
This group of players needs a fresh approach. They need to be let off the leash. There’s a lot of attacking talent on the pitch and it does feel like Moyes is potentially holding West Ham back.
At present, he’s probably the ideal candidate to ensure the club avoids relegation. There’s a distinct lack of managerial candidates who would be willing to take the job, with the summer potentially a far better time to make a long-term appointment.
If he does depart in the summer, it will be an amicable end. The Europa League run was a once-in-a-lifetime event for the Hammers and Moyes will always be responsible for some of the club’s best-ever nights.