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When West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen slotted home a 90th-minute winner in the UEFA Europa Conference League final, David Moyes sprinted down the touchline. The club’s coach considered performing a Jose Mourinho-esque knee slide to celebrate this victory against Fiorentina on 7 June.
However, the Scot realised the possibility of not sliding, but rather falling on his belly due to the dry grass. This meant Moyes consoled himself with the fact that he had won the fifth trophy of his 25-year coaching career. It's been a rollercoaster ride for Moyes and we've attemped to capture it in this article.
A bunch of boos
The fourth estate had been speculating about Moyes’ future at West Ham at various stages of the 2022-23 season. As early as 28 September 2022, the Daily Mirror reported that he faced “a fight to save his job” following a 1-0 defeat to Everton.
Moyes went so far as to say some of his players have let him down at different times with poor play. Moyes’ side were booed off after a 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace in November. His decision to substitute goalscorer Saïd Benrahma just after the hour mark was also greeted with jeers.
West Ham went on to lose its next three league games, the last of which was a 2-0 home defeat to Brentford. Captain Declan Rice said:
“We are letting ourselves and the manager down. We are also letting the fans down,” (via the Independent)
In January 2023, the bookmakers listed Moyes as the favourite to be the next Premier League manager to receive his marching orders. After a 1-0 defeat to Wolves on 14 January, talkSport reported that West Ham were considering Nuno Espirito Santo and Rafael Benitez as Moyes’ replacement. The publication even claimed the club was ‘dreaming’ of Mauricio Pochettino or Thomas Tuchel as long-term replacements.
Ahead of West Ham’s next game, some media houses reported that Moyes faced the sack if the Hammers lose. As the game was against Everton, the reports even claimed he could immediately find himself installed as the favourite to succeed Frank Lampard at the struggling Toffees.
Cries of “sacked in the morning” befell Moyes following West Ham’s 4-0 hammering at the hands of Brighton in March. More boos came his side’s way after a 5-1 home defeat to Newcastle United on 5 April.
Fans aimed chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” at Moyes during West Ham’s next league game, a 1-0 win against Fulham. They didn’t take kindly to Moyes substituting Danny Ings and Pablo Fornals off for Benrahma and Flynn Downes. A banner reading “Moyes out” could be seen in the away end to which Moyes reacted: (as seen in One Football)
“When I saw that banner, it was hurtful because it drains your power and strength to do things,” Moyes admitted. “Did I feel lonely? Hugely.”
Although his side only won three of their remaining nine league games and ended their Premier League season in 14th place, they had won all but one of their Conference League matches. They found themselves in the quarter-finals, having topped Group B and then beaten AEK Larnaca 6-0 on aggregate in the two-legged round of 16. A 5-2 aggregate win against KAA Gent in the quarter-finals was followed by a 3-1 aggregate victory over AZ Alkmaar in the semis.
Following the final whistle in the final, Moyes found himself swarmed by his players and on the receiving end of adulation aplenty from West Ham’s fans. His club had just won the Conference League, its first piece of major silverware since lifting the FA Cup in 1980.
Moyes previously hoisted up the Football League Second Division title as Preston North End coach in 2000. He also won the Translink Cup and Brotherhood Cup with Everton in 2010 and the FA Community Shield with Manchester United in 2013.
Moyes has also endured some near misses. His Preston side just missed out on promotion to the Premier League after losing the 2001 play-off final, and his Everton side lost 2-1 to Chelsea in the 2009 FA Cup final. Last season, his West Ham side exited the Europa League in the semi-final stage following a match that saw Rice accusing the referee of “corruption”. (as per Eurosport)
Having saved West Ham from relegation in his first spell at the club, his second spell has seen him rescue the club from the dreaded drop in 2020. He went on to secure sixth place (with a record-points total) and then seventh place in the Premier League.
Why the Hammers placed only six points above relegation
The club often had to juggle playing in the Conference League on a Thursday with a league match on the Sunday. The likes of Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd and Gianluca Scamacca had also missed a number of games due to injury.
In addition, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio each netted only half the amount of league goals they scored last season. Finishing seventh and getting to the Europa League semi-finals last season had probably taken its toll this season as per Moyes.
Positives from this season
The London Stadium was filled almost to capacity for all West Ham’s home league matches and Rice’s leadership was highly appreciated. West Ham also accumulated the fewest cards in the league and received no red cards.
Having rather prophetically remarked in 2021 that maybe his best time was still to come, Moyes described the Conference League final as his biggest moment as a coach.
Rice marvelled, (as per the Daily Star)
“I think he's up there as West Ham's best-ever manager now.”
Moyes was humble after his achievement: (as per the Daily Mirror)
“I don’t ever really think of myself as being a legend or any words like that,” Moyes said. “I’d just like to be known as a football manager who’s serious about his job and tries to do the best he possibly can.”
