In his autobiography GoodFella, the former West Ham player Craig Bellamy discusses how he felt relieved to score the game-winning goal for Wales against Denmark, relieving pressure on firing manager Bobby Gould (yet another former Hammer).
However, it didn’t seem like everyone was having fun. Teammate Dean Saunders told Bellamy, “You do realise you’ve saved this guy’s job.”
A few days after reading that story, this columnist heard seasoned West Ham supporter David remark something quite similar on Monday night, when Jarrod Bowen’s hat-trick gave the Hammers a crucial 4-2 victory over Brentford.
The outcome not only put an end to West Ham’s dreadful eight-game losing streak and moved the team back up to eighth place in the standings, but it also raised expectations that manager David Moyes would likely sign a new deal at the end of the current campaign.
In fact, he stated, “I’ll not be going away, that’s for sure,” in response to a question from Sky Sports regarding his future following the game.
However, that would seem to be at odds with his remarks from last week, in which he asserted that a contract was prepared for signature but that he had chosen to postpone doing so.
“I have a contract there, and I’m the one choosing to hold off until the end of the season,” he remarked.
I have many reasons to wait, and I’m delighted to wait. I have to make sure that it’s what’s best for my family, the club, and myself.
He appears to be riding high after winning over Brentford, a team that has already dropped ten of its past twelve Premier League games, when he is one moment fannying around and the next prevaricating.
Although West Ham’s previous performance was described by The Guardian as “weeks of constipated football,” Brentford’s results since November have been, well, terrible.
Mentioning that serves to set the scene rather than detract from the Hammers, who had fallen short against the Bees in their five Premier League encounters and were experiencing a lack of confidence after winning just one game this season.
They shot out of the traps, Bowen giving West Ham a two-goal lead in seven minutes, like a greyhound on a concoction of drugs not seen since Ozzy Osbourne went on tour with hell-raising hedonists Mötley Crüe in the mid-1980s.
You have to acknowledge the management and the players for that. The club’s return to Europa League action on Saturday against Everton and their travel to Freiburg, Germany, on Thursday would have made another defeat—which would have been the team’s fourth straight—devastating.
What then should we make of Moyes’ statements from the previous week?
It’s commendable that he’s willing to wait instead than snatching chairman David Sullivan’s arm when it comes to his willingness to exercise patience when it comes to signing a new deal, since other managers would just be considering potential pay.
It’s encouraging that he states that he wants to “do the right thing for the club,” and it makes sense that he would bring up “me and my family.” And this could be the main focus of it all.
All players, and managers alike, possess an ego. It’s an essential quality if you want to play football professionally and project the confidence needed to succeed.
Many West Ham executives, including as Harry Redknapp, Billy Bonds, John Lyall, Glenn Roeder, Alan Pardew, Lou Macari, Alan Curbishley, Gianfranco Zola, Sam Allardyce, and, er, Avram Grant, have been questioned and interviewed by this writer in order to get insight into their motivations. self-assurance.
Moyes hasn’t missed an opportunity to highlight his accomplishments with the Hammers. On Monday, he stated, “We were a relegation team not so long ago and now we are up around Europe,” in contrast to his former insistence that “we’ve had a brilliant few years in Europe.”
However, as everyone is aware, the negative football approach has drawn harsh criticism, especially when the club is struggling. It seems that the supporters’ (justifiable) outcry over this has irritated him.
It appears that he is unhappy with the way his supporters—as well as columnists and pundits—are undermining his ego by failing to give him the respect and gratitude he feels he is due. And in the end, everyone needs to experience love. It sounds like U2 is a little irritated when one of its most recent albums doesn’t peak at number one in the charts.
This may be the reason Moyes wishes to wait until the summer to make a decision about his future. He won’t let his family witness any dissension. And he’ll pick up his box of Tic Tacs, er, tactics, and take them somewhere else if the West Ham supporters don’t want him. An elite position such as Celtic, to name one.
Thus, everything hinges on what occurs from now until May. Moyes will evaluate the support’s atmosphere and results. And do “the right thing for the club,” as he puts it.
