West Ham fans who grew tired of the football under David Moyes were labelled ungrateful and delusional but now there are murmurings at Everton too.
When West Ham were parting ways with David Moyes for the second time after five years of sustained success, Everton fans were chief among those warning the club to ‘be careful what you wish for’.
The circumstances were different when Moyes left the Toffees for Man United, but Everton have lived what life looks like after the experienced Scot.
So are West Ham now, as they battle to stay in the Premier League having circled the plughole in the two years since Moyes left.
West Ham deja vu as some Everton fans criticise Moyes
Hammers fans will, justifiably, point to the fact that West Ham’s demise started under Moyes.
West Ham were flying high in the top six, just one win off the top four, after wins over Arsenal and Man United going into the new year of 2024.
Where will West Ham finish this season? 📈 And who will be relegated? ⬇️
Mind the gap, Tottenham Hotspur 😂
Premier League table after 32 gameweeks with West Ham's Crysencio Summerville in background
Credit: Getty Images/Rob Newell – CameraSport
There was a sudden clamour for Moyes to be signed up to a new deal.
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A contract was offered to extend his stay at the London Stadium but Moyes was unhappy with the fact he would have his power of veto on recruitment ceded to Tim Steidten and his son David junior removed from the scouting team.
Kevin Nolan, assistant coach at the time, claims West Ham’s season fell apart when players got wind Moyes’ contract offer had been withdrawn and he would be leaving.
David Moyes holds the Europa Conference League trophy aloft at the town hall after West Ham's open top bus parade through east London
Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images
The spiral in results and performances continued unabated for two years under Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter and then Nuno Espirito Santo – until this January when the latter finally started getting West Ham looking competitive again – ironically looking more like a Moyes team.
Meanwhile, the man who led West Ham to their only major trophy of what will now be 47 years, has returned to Everton, kept them up and now, in his first full season, has the Blues in contention for a Champions League place.
Many Hammers fans had grown tired of the style of football under Moyes, especially when results dried up.
They were labelled ungrateful and delusional for suggesting West Ham should look to move on with a more “modern” and attack-minded manager.
What is the WEIRDEST West Ham transfer you can remember? 😵💫
Surely Faubert to Real Madrid is up there…
Real Madrid's French midfielder Julien Faubert attends a training session in Madrid on April 30, 2009. Real Madrid will play 'El Clasico' match against arch-rivals Barcelona on May 02, 2009, a crucial match in deciding the league title this season, as Real are just four points behind the Catalan giants at the top of the table with just five matches to play.
Now it seems Hammers supporters are not the only ones who might have taken Moyes for granted.
Everton fans must heed the West Ham warning as Moyes faces criticism.
The vast majority of Everton fans love Moyes for the job he has done since returning to the club, just like West Ham supporters.
There were murmurings among a noisy minority of West Ham fans about wanting a change – and there was even a ‘Moyes Out’ banner in the crowd in his final six months.
David Moyes celebrates Everton's win over Nottingham Forest.
Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images
It appears some Everton fans are raising similar concerns to their West Ham counterparts, though.
Everton missed out on moving up to sixth in the Premier League table – which looks likely to be a Champions League place – when they drew 2-2 with Brentford last time out.
In an interview with Everton’s media team after the game, Moyes said he was pleased with the point despite not being too happy with the performance.
But the comments in response to the interview were rather illuminating and will certainly be of interest to West Ham fans.
Not least because some of the gripes of Toffees supporters will strike a chord with Hammers fans, who bemoaned similar things when Moyes was in charge.
Moyes was labelled ‘dithering Dave’ for leaving substitutions too late in the game.
Some called for a new “forward-thinking” manager at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this summer.
Others criticised the standard of football and Moyes’ tactics, suggesting it has cost them crucial points – including at home against West Ham earlier in the season.
The exchanges saw other Everton fans defend Moyes, calling their fellow supporters ‘delusional’ and saying the ‘disrespect is crazy’.
Football is a game of opinions, but it is fascinating to see a similar debate emerging over Moyes at Everton that it did at West Ham.
Perhaps now it is that minority of Blues supporters who need to ‘be careful what they wish for’ when it comes to Moyes?
And maybe the anniversary of one particular Moyes moment at West Ham has come at the perfect time to act as a wake-up call to Everton.
Because it was four years ago this week that the Hammers went to Lyon and won 3-0 to make it to the semi-finals of the Europa League.
And Moyes stood on the pitch being serenaded by the delirious travelling West Ham fans long after the final whistle.
Despite the murmurings of some supporters, though, the club’s Friedkin Group owners are looking to extend Moyes’ stay at Everton.
Meanwhile Moyes has opened up on his time at West Ham and his Everton future in a new interview with Jamie Carragher.
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