West Ham hadn’t won a trophy since 1980 when David Moyes led them to the Europa Conference League in 2023. Moyes made history with the London club, but still faced considerable criticism for his style of play.
West Ham’s best years of this century were with Moyes at the helm. That would be true even if he didn’t bring a rare piece of silverware to East London. The significance of a trophy for a club like West Ham cannot be overstated, though. Prior to 2023, they had three FA Cups, a Cup Winners’ Cup, and an Intertoto Cup.
Premiership odds have often priced West Ham as a long shot to qualify for European competition, and 2024-25 is no exception, with the London club out at 11/1 for a top six finish. In fact, the Hammers have regularly been a shorter price in Premiership relegation odds – they are 14/1 for the drop in 2024-25.
Moyes changed that pattern, guiding them to safety after succeeding Slaven Bilic and Manuel Pellegrini mid-season.
He might not have been a glamorous appointment on either occasion, but Moyes’ Premiership record speaks for itself. Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson are the only managers to have been in charge of more matches in the Premier League era.
Silverware Matters
Trophies elevate any manager’s legacy. Moyes joins Ron Greenwood and John Lyall as the only West Ham managers to have won a major trophy. Both Greenwood and Lyall had more sustained success in cup competitions with higher quarter-final and semi-final tallies.
A year ago yesterday, West Ham won the UEFA Conference League against Fiorentina thanks to a last minute Jarrod Bowen goal, this clip of David Moyes celebrating and proudly showing his Dad his winner’s medal has lived in my head rent-free ever since.
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) June 8, 2024
Moyes, though, was a far more consistent performer in the league. Despite the club producing a raft of players who helped England win the World Cup in 1966, neither Greenwood nor Lyall could make them a consistent force at the top of the First Division. Moyes managed to string together three top nine finishes in four years before leaving West Ham for a second time.
Widely underrated since his ill-fated stint as Manchester United manager, the general opinion of Moyes seems lower than it should be, despite becoming a legitimate icon at West Ham.
Before facing Luton in May 2024, the Scot delivered a reminder of what he achieved at West Ham beyond Conference League glory.
“My goodness, for us to go from a team that was fighting at the bottom of the league to sixth was unbelievable. The players in the last few years have done a brilliant job.”
Humility and respect from @WestHam first team coach Kevin Nolan, as Jurgen Klopp shakes hands with David Moyes for the final time as @LFC manager 🤝 pic.twitter.com/DASR2MjKrY
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 30, 2024
He’s right. It was an unbelievable transformation. West Ham has been an impossible job for so many managers this century with sky-high expectations from a loyal, unrelenting fanbase. Moyes is the first unequivocal success since Harry Redknapp’s tenure, which ended over two decades ago.
Where Does Moyes Rank Overall?
Other managers competed more consistently in domestic cup competitions where Moyes was underwhelming overall. No manager has come close to matching Moyes’ continental showings, however, with semi-final and quarter-final Europa League showings sandwiching their Conference League triumph.
Add in a pair of relegation rescue missions and Moyes’ record as West Ham manager stands up against anyone in the club’s history. Others played more entertaining football or developed players more effectively, but none gave West Ham fans a moment like they enjoyed in Prague in the early summer months of 2023.
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