West Ham face major David Moyes dilemma as football uncertainty grows

Add as preferred source on Google

West Ham United’s owners are facing a major dilemma over the future of manager David Moyes.

Moyes was an unpopular choice among many fans when he returned to the club to replace Manuel Pellegrini in December.

Just two wins in 10 league games since gave those West Ham supporters plenty of ammunition.

The Hammers had started to improve of late before football was shut down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Virus pauses West Ham relegation battle

That has put a halt on West Ham’s battle against relegation with the East Londoners outside the bottom three on goal difference.

Speculation has whirred about potential solutions to the season including rendering it null and void.

Deemed not good enough to be kept on during his first brief six-month spell at West Ham, Moyes spent the next 18 months in the wilderness.

When he was brought back by David Sullivan and David Gold he was handed an 18-month deal (Daily Mail).

Before the enforced virus break, a large section of West Ham fans wanted Moyes gone if the Hammers were relegated.

Hammers face potential dilemma over Moyes contract

But most agreed if he kept the club up he should be given another year to implement his plan to build a new-look West Ham side around young, hungry players.

So the growing uncertainty could give Sullivan and Gold a major dilemma.

What do they do if the Hammers stay up by default? Has Moyes really earned the right to stay in that scenario?

Or what if the solution put in place by the authorities makes West Ham’s survival hopes unjustly difficult.

Indeed staying up might even be taken out of their hands.

Pushing the season back would also create a problem as Moyes’s contract expires next summer, which could be mid-season based on some suggested plans for the future of football in this country.

Future in the hands of football authorities

It may be that West Ham uses new FIFA powers to give Moyes a rolling contract after his deal expires.

Or the owners might just decide to extend his deal to the projected end of the next campaign or cut the ties once a decision is reached by the Premier League.

It all seems rather inconsequential against the backdrop of the global situation.

But these are the kind of decisions that are going to have to be taken in the background at West Ham if the scale of the pandemic does not subside significantly over the next few months.