While the feelings of West Ham United supporters towards David Moyes have always seemed somewhat misunderstood by the wider footballing public, it’s true that there were some at the London Stadium who felt a fresh start was needed back in 2024.
No, the majority of the Hammers fans did not hound Moyes out the door. No, they did not fail to appreciate, or underestimate, the success he brought to the London Stadium.
In fact, when Everton hosted West Ham United back in March, David Moyes approached the visiting supporters at full-time and greeted them with a bow. They responded in kind. Not so much with a bow of their own – the tight stands at Goodison Park never really allowed for that much movability in the knee department – but with a gracious round of applause.
Yet, it would be churlish to ignore the fact that sections of the support – even those who will always have a special place in their heart for the Conference League-winning manager – grew slightly fatigued with his occasionally handbrake-on football.
Especially with regards to his handling of Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus. Two uber-talented attacking players who sometimes felt a little hamstrung by Moyes’ relatively low-risk approach.
Now, speaking on Give Me Sport’s Market Madness podcast, former Hammers left-back Paul Koncheskey wonders if Nuno Espirito Santo is destined to experience the same rather peculiar relationship with a fanbase who seem to put plenty of emphasis on excitement as well as success.
Paul Konchesky shares doubts about West Ham United’s Nuno Espirito Santo pursuit
The ‘West Ham Way’, as some call it. Albeit that is a term which has been used as a stick to beat supporters often accused of raising expectations to un-matchable levels.
Most would welcome Nuno Espirito Santo to the London Stadium right now. After the misery of the Graham Potter era, hiring a coach who turned Nottingham Forest from relegation candidates to Champions League dark-horses – and eventual Europa League qualifiers – would go down a storm.
Hammers News can confirm that vice-chair Karren Brady held talks with Nuno last week. Alan Nixon, the man who broke the news of West Ham’s interest, has since claimed that the former Tottenham and Wolves boss is getting ‘closer’ to taking over.
“I think, at first, people would say it’s a good appointment,” counters Konchesky, who scored in that thrilling FA Cup final defeat to Liverpool in 2006 and coached their women’s team until 2023. “But his style is much like David Moyes.
“When you look at his Nottingham Forest side, they used to defend on the edge of their box and tried to hit teams on the counter-attack because they had two quick wingers and an attacking threat.
“For me, that’s how David Moyes played and the West Ham fans eventually didn’t like that way. They like a bit of attacking football. It would be interesting to see what the fans think, but let’s wait and see how Graham Potter does.”
Karren Brady held Nuno talks as Mark Noble considers Scott Parker
Whether Nuno would be a success long-term is, right now, somewhat moot. West Ham need a quick-fire solution and someone to drag them out of the mire immediately. Nuno, from 17th in the Premier League to seventh in the space of just a year-and-a-half, certainly has form in that department.
Nuno’s Nottingham Forest system should suit a number of West Ham players, meanwhile. Certainly more than Graham Potter’s does.
In the meantime, as Potter hangs by a thread, Hammers News have been told by chief football correspondent Graeme Bailey that sporting director Mark Noble is an admirer of Burnley boss Scott Parker, as well as two other former Hammers midfielders in Frank Lampard [now at Coventry City] and the unatached Michael Carrick.
Noble spoke glowingly of Slaven Bilic during their time together between 2015 and 2017, meanwhile. Edin Terzic, a former assistant to Bilic, has been pushed forward as an alternative alongside ex-BSC Young Boys coach Raphael Wicky.
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