Journalist shares David Moyes verdict after ‘massive’ £164m West Ham United transfer gamble
West Ham have “flirted with disaster” this season despite their “massive” £164m transfer gamble last summer, according to The Herald journalist James Morgan.
The Hammers have struggled this season despite several new arrivals in the summer, with the club winning just eight Premier League matches so far.
They have, however, recently climbed the table with a win against Fulham earlier this month and a fine draw against league leaders Arsenal on Sunday (16 April).
“West Ham took a massive gamble in the summer with a transfer outlay to the tune of £164m – the third most of any club in the Premier League,” wrote Morgan. “It was a statement of intent from the Londoners as they sought to capitalise on two years of progress under David Moyes.
“In their previous two campaigns, Moyes had guided the club to sixth and seventh-place finishes respectively so the summer spree, which resulted in the signing of eight players, was meant to be the next step in achieving a sustained assault on Champions League qualification.
“Instead, it has been a campaign in which West Ham have flirted with disaster.”
Challenging times
The Hammers have previously overperformed in recent campaigns, which coupled with their summer spending makes their struggles this season even harder to comprehend.
A lot of the new faces have failed to have any real impact at the London Stadium, while Moyes’s old guard have somewhat declined from their previous campaigns.
Fortunately fans have been kept intrigued by a fine Europa Conference League run, where they are currently into the quarter-finals, but even that has not prevented the constant negativity around Moyes and the club for the majority of the domestic campaign.
The Scot looks destined to be moved on in the summer regardless of what happens this season, and the manager could be followed out the exit door by many of his players.
Winning silverware in Europe and staying in the Premier League remains the one true goal for West Ham, but supporters are well aware that they may have to prioritise one over the other.