Fans may have missed a dead giveaway amid the surprise at David Moyes uncharacteristically talking about his West Ham future.
David Moyes says speculation over his future is not affecting his West Ham players.
That’s despite claiming in January that his future needed to be sorted to avoid that exact scenario.
Something is impacting the performances of a West Ham team that was on course for a top six finish two months ago.
No wins in eight games in 2024 is evidence of that. And injuries cannot be used as a legitimate excuse.
Every club picks up injuries and while the Hammers lost key stars at the same time, only Lucas Paqueta has been out for an extended period.
End game for will he, won’t he Moyes saga?
The will he, won’t he stay Moyes saga is dominating West Ham headlines and will continue to do so until it is resolved one way or another.
It would be foolish to expect anything else given the Scot is in the last six months of his contract.
But in his latest press conference on Friday, Moyes claimed it is he who is stalling on a new contract.
Closer inspection of Moyes’ comments and his decision to speak publicly on the situation may have given the game away, though.
It looks like the beginning of the end as Moyes hints he may leave West Ham for the first time.
More than meets the eye to manager’s new admission
Let’s revisit Moyes’ full comments on the situation from the press conference.
“I’ve had really good conversations with the owners, with David Sullivan and Karren Brady,” he said, as reported by Sky Sports.
“There’s a contract there for me and I’m the one deciding I want to wait until the end of the season.
“I want to make sure it’s right for the club, for me, for my family. I’ve spoken to the board, I get on very well with them, but we will sort it out and I’m happy to wait.”
One particular sentence there is key.
‘Make sure it’s right’
‘Make sure it’s right for the club’ – this suggests Moyes may know he’s taken the team as far as he can. Fans are craving a more attacking style and philosophy. The owners want technical director Tim Steidten calling the shots on recruitment and as part of his current deal Moyes has power of veto on all transfers. The Hammers hierarchy face a fight to keep Steidten out of the clutches of Liverpool. So this line from Moyes appears to be a clear hint at these issues.
‘Right for me’ – this also points towards the potential loss of control at the club. I’ve been told by the top source inside West Ham that Moyes’ new deal will be ‘subject to terms’. Does old school Moyes want to manage a team when he’s not the one signing the players? Doubtful. Does he want to continue to put himself up there to be shot at over his style? The longer the current situation goes on, the more damage it does to his reputation. And – to some degree – his legacy. He may be thinking ‘I don’t need this’ anymore. Especially given the excellent job he has done at the London Stadium.
‘Right for my family’ – this is perhaps the most interesting comment of the lot. Moyes has previously stated he enjoys living in England. But after what will be four-and-a-half years in London – three of them bumper seasons of jam-packed schedules domestically and in Europe – perhaps he feels family life needs to take precedence now? Otherwise why mention it? By saying it has to be right for his family suggests there might be something that’s not quite sitting comfortably with him in that regard. Remember Moyes’ son David junior has been involved with the club in a scouting capacity. And Steidten has now brought in his brother Moritz and Max Hahn in that department. So it could well be that is a consideration for the Scot too.
The manager’s comments did not scream ‘I’m staying’ did they? If anything it feels like the beginning of the end of the Moyes era.
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