David Moyes' tenure at West Ham United is about to reach it's nadir as he has been summoned to Theydon Bois, where majority shareholder David Sullivan lives.
Having already been given the dreaded 'vote of confidence, tomorrow's meeting in the leafy part Essex is more likely than not going to be when Moyes gets the 'tin tack'.
14 wins in 44 Premier League games has made Moyes' position as manager untenable, the stats don't lie and they spell out one thing, RELEGATION! If the board don't act now then they will have the 'joy' of witnessing the biggest crowds the Championship has ever seen, assuming of course that fans don't desert the club in their droves.
Having the fifth highest average attendance in WORLD football will count for absolutely nothing should the unthinkable happen and the club gets relegated, showing loyalty to a manager who has achieved plenty and served you well is admirable, but persisting with a loser when all around can see the bigger picture is bordering on being reckless to say the least, some would say it borders on being downright irresponsible or stupid, or both!
David Moyes HAS worked wonders at West Ham, especially during his '2nd coming', but his style of football has been found out and he quite clearly doesn't have a workable plan B. The excuse of bedding in the new players is wearing about as thin as a tory party internal investigation.
All the good work Moyes has done, there has been plenty, is in danger of being undone as a result of a catastrophic run of results that cannot be blamed on anyone except the manager himself. Losing his best two coaches hasn't helped matters, both Pearce and Irvine were driving forces on the training ground AND during games, without both of them the team looks completely different in playing style and commitment.
A fresh start is desperately needed and when the Board do pull the trigger there is just about enough time to rescue the situation, although things should have been done during the World Cup instead of now. Cresswell and Fabianski have both been great servants for the club but are clearly unable to cope with the hustle and bustle of the Premier League, the same can be said for Ogbonna, Antonio and many more of the current set up, time for a change!
Make no mistake, Hammers ARE in a RELEGATION DOGFIGHT and will do remarkably well to maintain their Premier League status, a state of affairs that will 'freak out' the Kretin in the Sky as well as Sully and Gold bearing in mind the not inconsiderable funds made available for summer transfers, for once a Hammers manager WAS backed to the hilt. Being a results driven business the Premier League takes NO prisoners and unfortunately Moyes will have to fall on his sword, it was inevitable given the investment that was made on his behalf, yes there have been injury issues but almost every club has to deal with similar situations.
Time to move forward, hopefully the Board will have anticipated the sequence of events and will have a replacement manager lined up, some are suggesting Mark Warburton might take over assisted by Mark Noble, but the club should be aiming for more than just survival, Thomas Tuchel would be a great appointment but he will be wary of past interference by the board and may not want to take on such a troubled club. The other 'suspect' is Rafa Benitez, but having already rejected the club even though he had agreed to become manager in order that he could manage Real Madrid when they came a calling.
Something had to give, but the club's decisions over the next 24 Hours could have a significant long term impact for many years to come, so they have to make the correct decision, good luck on that one! - Ed
