When David Moyes was re-appointed West Ham United boss in December it was hardly the most popular decision.
A 4-0 win over Bournemouth in his first game back looked like vindicating under fire co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold.
But no wins from the ensuing five Premier League games – and the very real prospect that could stretch to seven with Manchester City and Liverpool away up next – has given plenty of ammunition to those who questioned the decision to bring the Scot back to East London.
Let’s be brutal, Moyes’s most successful spell as a manager since leaving Everton seven years ago was at West Ham.
A decent man with the right ideas
And even then neither fans nor owners particularly wanted to keep him on. They didn’t. And Moyes spent the next 18 months back in managerial exile until West Ham came knocking again.
To be clear, West Ham fans appreciate what Moyes did the first time around. And he has their full support this time too.
But that doesn’t mean the Hammers faithful have to agree with it.
Moyes seems like a thoroughly decent man. And he also seems to ‘get’ West Ham fans and what they expect.
The former Manchester United boss has also said all the right things about how he envisages building a better club.
Central to that is his desire to put an end to the scattergun approach to recruitment which has seen West Ham often lurch from the sublime to the ridiculous.
All very noble stuff.
Moyes talking like a man with time on his side
And this time around Moyes was handed an 18 month contract instead of six months.
He told the press himself there are clauses built into the contract which means a lengthier stay will be activated should certain stipulations be met (The Guardian).
Presumably that is to keep West Ham up this season and show enough in the next campaign to suggest he is the man to lead the club forward.
But his comments and actions recently have left West Ham fans confused.
From his almost unrealistically positive predictions that the Hammers will comfortably survive this season to his statements about allowing Jarrod Bowen time to settle in and slowly integrating him into the side.
West Ham are in the relegation zone with 13 games to go. Six of those are against the current top 10.
Lose – as expected – to Man City and Liverpool and West Ham face the prospect of having to go from winning six games all season long to suddenly producing Champions League form by winning 5 of their last 11.
Will Scot keep his job regardless of relegation?
Whether Moyes is putting on a positive and brave face who knows.
But it smacks that he may have been given assurances over his future regardless of whether West Ham are relegated.
The majority of fans did not want Moyes back. And they certainly won’t want him sticking around if he is to oversee a disastrous relegation.
He may well be given next season to get the club back up at the first attempt, though.
And that would go some way to explaining his approach to the Bowen situation in particular.
Moyes is talking like he has time on his side. And that may well be because privately he knows he does.
One thing that is certain is that if his side does not pull a few rabbits out of the hat between now and May, West Ham WILL be playing Championship football next season with or without him at the helm.
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