David Moyes was hardly the universal choice as Hammers boss after Slaven Bilic.
But the extraordinary turnaround in the team’s form has left followers on the ClaretandHugh facebook forum stunned.
Here’s some random responses after yesterday’s thumping win over Stoke City
O Moysey you are a genius!
O Moyes is a good manager. He was unlucky at Sunderland but that doesn’t mean he is not good for the job!!
O Moyes haters even further under their rocks now !COYI 
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⚒O Could have had six
O Looking forward to Saturday! Nice to see we are on a high, fantastic win against a very good side, Moysie you are doing well. Keep it up – keep it up, cant wait until we are super fit, others beware we are coming for you all, COYIS
O For a manager who we were supposed to have got on the ‘cheap’ he’s turning out to be a BARGAIN!!
Having posted comments on this blog to the effect that I do not appreciate or value David Moyes’ coaching and management style, and that I never would choose him to provide a ‘future proofing’ quality for the Irons, I stand by my judgement. Yes, this comment may seem absurd on first reading. But there is a reason for holding to this judgement.
Let’s begin with the good news, the positive evidence of the turn round is indisputable, simply amazing. Like a Tsunami it is impossible to deny this resurgent reality. To ‘diss’ David Moyes now would be vindictive and unjustified. I do not want Moyes as a long term coach, but this is not a contradictory statement. I respect the resurgence Moyes and Pearce has overseen at Rush Green because it can be seen on the park, in key areas of performance. Fitness, psychological presence, newfound commitment across the squad, organization, playing to a plan, and improvements in the form of Arnautovic, Masuaku, Cresswell, Adrian are beyond a ‘fluke’ or flash in the pan. This is incontrovertible evidence of iron in the blood. And there is something to say about the willingness of players to follow Moyes’ ‘on pitch’ agenda. Moyes has a formula, a structure, a means to get a result. It is working in the exceptionally dire circumstances he inherited from Slaven. Mind you, polishing a Richard the third is a lot easier to demonstrate than turning a base metal, like iron, into gold. It is now obvious with hindsight that player’s willingness was dramatically withdrawn from Slaven Bilic. My doubt, always has been, is around Moyes’ quality as a coaching necromancer: does he have the magic to turn the Irons into gold..real gold. I don’t believe he has, and this judgement is based solely on the evidence of his own limited top flight achievements.
Defensive stubbornness, organization as well as a dollop of purposeful creativity with results was achieved at Stoke. This is a spectacular transformation. Moyes and Pearce et al have to take credit and be given respect for this amazing work-in-progress. I support the Irons, utterly, and respect Moyes and Co. for their ‘hand’ in what is emerging on the park. Credit where it’s due without distorting bias.
My judgement stands though. David Moyes is not a long term developmental option for the Irons because he has no track record of taking a team beyond ‘middling’, or in taking a team to PL ‘excellence’. Moyes is a member of that group of British managers who oscillate between Championship and PL, who keep teams on the right side of PL survival and in that sense he is in ‘good’ and familiar company with the likes of Pardew, Pulis, Allardyce, Dyche, Hodgson and Howe. All of whom I respect but would not consider to be coaches of European excellence or achievement.
Prefer a Biryani any day but delighted to be eating my hat after my pessimistic predictions. Six more points over the Winter Solstice now seems do-able, realistic after the players have started to show their responsibilities to the club, to the long-suffering Fans, to the Iron’s legacy and, indeed, to the Moyes-Psycho double act. I respect David Moyes and have gratitude for his stubborn resilience. I do not see him as a developmental option for the top flight though.
Didn’t he finish 4th or 5th with Everton and tried to qualify for champions league group stages and his board didn’t spend money on players to improve them?
Ruffellite ; I have never read such waffle in all my life . He was Everton Manager for 11 years and kept them in the First Division / Premiership for all that time . Everton never really splashed out on big name players , in fact the opposite is true , they sold big name players .
Everton should have and could have been very successful . They screwed up by being tight as ducks arses . Much like our very own West Ham after the great 60’s .
He took the Man Utd job where the fans are notorious for Thier belief that they are the only club with the right to win anything . They had a complete and full bloodied failure of patience. Then they had Van Gall who suffered the same fate . Sunderland was a nasty experience for every manager . No money , no desire , no heart .
He is now Our Manager and he seems to be doing a stirling job right now .
Everything he learned at Everton , Man Utd , Real Sociadad and Sunderland is serving him good now and I’m pleased to have his experience at the LS . We are playing some good stuff again after waiting for what seems years and years . That , to my mind is purely down to Moyes who has gotten the players believing in themselves again . Ok I admit the bubble could burst but , under Moyes it can be patched up again . I don’t expect us to finish any higher than 12th , if that , but with a few players that Moyes wants in the January Window
I can see no reason to not want Moyes for the long term . We have gone three games without conceding and we are scoring ….. that would never have happened under Slaven .
With some commitment to spend I think we can establish ourselves as a top 8 team consistently under Moyes , and with luck maybe top 6 . He was a bit of a dodgy signing and we weren’t all convinced but he is proving himself worthy at the moment . And long may it continue . At this rate ; long term definitely . Saturday at home to West Brom and hopefully a bad day for Pardew . EFL Cup away to Arsenal to look forward to . Suddenly things are looking brighter .
COYHAMMERS .
Next up EFL Cup away to Arsenal … no reason to think we can’t get into the Semifinals .
Fair enough, personally I will give him a lot more time to show what he can do, for me his coaching is proving that he has a plan for every opponent to nullify their strengths and exploit their weaknesses, it is the honeymoon period of course and time will tell what if any limitations he has but I am 100% behind giving him a couple of seasons to show us his and the teams potential 👍
Here here , 32 . We currently have no reason to doubt Moyes and I fully agree he should be given time , even if things start to go bit south I still believe he could be good for us in the long term .