David Moyes and West Ham: The Premier League's Manager of the Season and Team of the Season duo?
Just a few months before the start of the 2020/21 Premier League, thousands of West Ham United fans staged a protest outside the London Stadium.
Their primary target was co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan, but banners and chants made clear the disgruntlement felt around the club in general.
A lot has changed since then. Nothing was expected of West Ham this season, especially after a summer window which saw just one signing made (Tomas Soucek, whose loan was made permanent), yet David Moyes has led the East London club to a sixth place finish and Europa League qualification.
From transfers (or a lack thereof) to the unpopular move to the London Stadium to the re-hiring of Moyes, West Ham appeared to be on a mission to upset their own fans with every decision made before this season. Out of nothing, though, Moyes has built a team that more than deserves its place in the Premier League’s top six.
The Hammers were even in top four contention for a number of weeks, ultimately finishing two points off Champions League qualification after running out of steam, but that shouldn’t mask the unexpected success of their season.
Not since 1999 have West Ham finished a Premier League season so highly in the table and never before have they finished with so many points. Moyes has to take a lot of the credit.
A year ago, Moyes was widely seen as finished at the top level. However, the Scot has evoked the spirit of his Everton days by forging a team that is strong in the air, dangerous on the wing and well organised in its structure. Written off as yesterday’s man, Moyes has proved his trademark style can still work in the modern game.
Moyes’ West Ham are just as good off the ball as they are on it, with the Hammers registering the sixth lowest average share of possession per game (44.6%) this season. However, only Burnley (22.8) have won more aerials per game than West Ham (20). This Hammers side have all the markings of a classic Moyes team, even down to a Marouane Fellaini-esque figure in Soucek.
Despite all this, West Ham shouldn’t be typecast as one-dimensional. They have played some attractive stuff this season, with Moyes’ side the seventh top scorers in the Premier League. Not since the 2015/16 season have the Hammers finished a top flight campaign with so many goals (62) to their name.
Back then, it was Dimitri Payet who lit up matches for West Ham. This season, it’s Jesse Lingard who has provided the individual difference following his loan arrival from Manchester United in January, notching nine goals and four assists in just 16 appearances. Whether it’s in behind the central striker or in a slightly wider role, the 28-year-old gave West Ham extra creativity and goal threat just when they needed it.
Michail Antonio, Declan Rice, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, Angelo Ogbonna, Lukasz Fabianski, Craig Dawson and Said Benrahma have all enjoyed good individual seasons which has culminated in an impressive team campaign. Moyes has demonstrated his man-management skills by getting the most out of a mishmash of a squad built by several different managers with different ideas over the last few years.
For many, Marcelo Bielsa might be Premier League Manager of the Year, but while Leeds enjoyed a strong season back in the top flight playing an eye-catching brand of football they were expected to stay comfortably clear of relegation.
Some predicted the Whites would finish mid-table, which they did. The team that finished ninth were sixth top scorers and averaged the eighth most shots per game, but conceded the seventh most goals. Their statistics were largely consistent with where they finished. Leeds didn’t overachieve to the same extent West Ham, relegation picks for some, did.
The same applies to Brendan Rodgers and Leicester, who despite FA Cup glory finished in exactly same position they did last season - fifth. Even after occupying a top four place for much of the campaign, the Foxes have now faltered down the home stretch in consecutive seasons. West Ham, on the other hand, dug deep to win their final two matches.
The challenge for Moyes and West Ham will be to build on their significant success of this season. There is a sense they have captured lightning in a bottle over the last 12 months. Now, they must use that to electrify the whole club and make sure the light doesn’t go out after just one season.
Even if West Ham’s 2020/21 season doesn’t lead anywhere, the manner in which Moyes and his players have defied pre-season pessimism should stand alone as a genuine achievement. Other teams and other managers have also enjoyed success this season, but nobody has overachieved as dramatically as those in claret and blue.
