Moyes goes from washed up to wonderful: Neil Humphreys
Manager's redemption is a reward for trust and time
David Moyes allegedly lost the plot when Manchester United's outraged dandies lost their chips. His drift towards irrelevance seemed inevitable after that.
He was washed up, a figure of fun.
Rio Ferdinand mocked Moyes' chip ban in the Red Devils' canteen. Everyone else ridiculed his Spanish accent at Real Sociedad. He made an abject Sunderland even worse and set himself up for a second fall at West Ham United, having been dumped the first time.
He hasn't been the right man for any job since Everton. Even then, Moyes was perceived as an old-school coach while he was still relatively young, advocating drilled defences and tactical discipline.
Yesterday morning (Singapore time), his Hammers defeated Manchester City with a drilled defence and tactical discipline. Who's laughing now?
From the death of a career to an uplifting resurrection, the 58-year-old is writing a cautionary tale not for himself, but for his rivals.
Trust and time are the greatest assets to any manager of Moyes' experience and calibre. Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and even the Hammers, first time round, gave him neither, succumbing to the impatient demands for quick dismissals.
But the pandemic changed that. A need to leave well alone until a semblance of normality returned forced West Ham's volatile owners to grant Moyes the gifts he's missed since he left Everton: Trust and time.
Such an approach could be used in defence of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, suggesting that patience in the process may allow him to emulate Moyes' turnaround, which misses the point.
Moyes has a proven track record in the English Premier League. He built and maintained overachieving Everton sides for almost a decade, instilling a work ethic that ensured regular top-10 finishes.
History is repeating itself now because the Hammers are embracing Moyes' history.
The set-pieces are still present and correct, epitomised by the ever-present Aaron Cresswell. The left-back is the only Hammer to play every minute of the season so far. It's not a coincidence.
His assist against Tottenham last weekend was his third in two games. According to the Independent, he has six set-piece assists since the start of last season. Only James Ward-Prowse has more (seven). West Ham's Jarrod Bowen is joint-fourth with four.
Set-pieces serve the prodigious Michail Antonio and find Tomas Soucek in crowded boxes. Throw in a compact defence and four clean sheets in a row and Moyes' raison d'etre is clear for all to see.
But it's still a tad patronising, suggesting Moyes is a one-trick pony performing a stale routine. The club's culture has been transformed, too. During his break between West Ham gigs, the Uefa technical adviser studied the increasing value of regular communication with modern footballers wading through the molasses of social media.
The days of a manager popping his head around the door after a training session are done. There are shades of Klopp at West Ham now, with the coach enjoying close, committed relationships with every player. Leaks are no longer found in defence or the dressing room.
As a result, the Hammers' traditional flakiness is fading. Mental fragility has long been in the club's DNA, capable of producing three World Cup winners and relegation candidates at the same time.
Moyes is changing that.
He made eight changes against the reigning League Cup holders and gave both Antonio and Declan Rice the night off. Manchester City dominated possession, as expected, but West Ham never panicked. They haven't all season.
Composure, an alien concept at West Ham for decades, ran through the regular first-teamers and the second-stringers. They are fitter, certainly, but also devoted to Moyes' cause. The collective belief seems absolute.
It's hard to recall the last time the Hammers were so sure of themselves and their manager. There's no higher compliment than saying West Ham do not look like West Ham any more.
And the new Moyes is starting to look a lot like the old one. Maybe he just needed one more chance. No one can say he hasn't earned it.
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