David Moyes‘ emotional farewell to West Ham United was tinged with disappointment after a pitch invasion by Manchester City fans prevented him from properly thanking the traveling supporters following his final game in charge.
The 3-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium marked the end of Moyes’ second spell at the helm, a 261-game tenure that saw the club reach new heights with last season’s Europa Conference League triumph. However, a downturn in form this year ultimately led to the decision to part ways with the Scot, with Julen Lopetegui poised to take over the reins.
West Ham fans had already given Moyes a fitting send-off at the London Stadium the previous week, with over 50,000 staying behind after the 3-1 victory over Luton Town to show their appreciation. Despite differing opinions on his tactics in recent times, Moyes’ overall contribution to the club, including a spell as manager from 2017 to 2018, is widely acknowledged.
The final game at Manchester City, however, was overshadowed by the home side’s title celebrations and Jurgen Klopp’s emotional farewell at Liverpool. West Ham slumped to a not unexpected defeat, adding to a string of recent losses.
The biggest disappointment for many, however, was Moyes’ inability to acknowledge the traveling fans after the final whistle. Despite a strong away following, a pitch invasion by City supporters forced him and his players to retreat to the tunnel for safety reasons.
In a sincere apology issued through the club’s official website, Moyes expressed his regret at the missed opportunity. “What I want to do is apologise to the supporters because we couldn’t get back on the pitch,” he said. “The support was great today and we couldn’t go on because of the crowd coming on, but I’d love to have gone over and said my goodbyes.”
While the abrupt ending at Manchester City left a sense of incompleteness, Moyes can take solace in the warm reception he received at the home farewell. The 2024 season may have ended on a disappointing note, but West Ham fans can still cherish the memories of Europa Conference League glory under his leadership. David Moyes departs the club with a legacy of success and the enduring respect of the fans, despite the missed farewell at his final away game.
I thought moyes had gone how many times does he have to keep saying goodbye , it’s like the Mickey Flanagan joke about his wife saying goodbye on the phone. Goodbye bye bye bye goodbye bye bye bye goodbye, if goodbyes were points we would be top of the league, I’m looking forward to saying hello to the othermoosh old loopy lopewhatshisname.hello hello hello hello hello.then probably by Christmas it’ll be goodbye bye bye bye bye bye all over again
Why blame moyes for finishing 9th, it’s the players on the pitch who tried their best, and it’s the results that was to blame.
Thank you for Europe thank you for steading the ship but West Ham United needs a manager who inspires not demoralised players we should of done better with this crop of players but as usual man management destroys their confidence and they end up feeling dejected and then want out. The new manager has managed international Spanish football has managed Real Madrid he is a far better upgrade than Moyes. With him and Tim Steidten I can only see success and they can attract Europe’s top players to lift West Ham United upto great heights in the premier league and in Europe.
Come on Bobby, read the room…
There are articles for this kind of response – many won’t disagree with you, including myself – but there’s a time and a place my friend.
I’m sorry that he didn’t get to say his farewells, but nobody blames him and everyone understands why. I hope David is welcomed any time he visits LS.