Premier League: West Ham…Oh What Have You Done?!

Everton vs West Ham United

Sometimes in life you make a bad decision. We’ve all done it. It might be an impulse buy; the wrong sandwich when you’re picking your lunch, or a T-shirt you think is cool…but no-one else does.

But getting rid of a proven manager who has brought you long awaited success? Now that is in a different league. And, in this SBOTOP writer’s opinion that is exactly what West Ham United did when they glibly said goodbye to David Moyes just over a year ago …and I’m surely not alone.

When Premier League: Everton vs West Ham United rounds off the weekend’s football on Monday I predict we’ll see how bad that decision was, in sharp focus.

Moyes won West Ham United their first major trophy since 1980 and their first European trophy in 58 years when he led the club to Europa Conference League success in 2023, beating Fiorentina in the final. He delivered European football to the East End for three seasons in a row but a section of fans bemoaned his style of football saying it wasn’t the ‘West Ham Way.’

Presumably by the ‘West Ham Way’ they meant losing!

Well, in 2024 they got their wish and Moyes was not offered a new contract, instead they replaced him with Julen Lopetegui who the board sacked with the team in 14^th place. In came Graham Potter who carried on the tradition of winning the odd game and losing more; and they finished in the same position, with a little flurry at the end of a dismal campaign. This season Potter has led the team to four losses in their first five league games, as well as a Carabao Cup exit, and they sit in 19^th place in the early Premier League table.      

Anyhow…having submitted this article a few hours ago I’ve just done a quick edit…because on Saturday morning UK time Potter was sacked!

And I strongly suspect the last team the Hammers want to meet right now is Moyes’ Everton.

But there you have it. Moyes’ tenth placed Toffees are ready to host his old team and the Everton vs West Ham United betting odds say he is about to show the Hammers’ board just how good a manager he is.

 

Talking Points

Everton are ready to put a bad week behind them

After a run of three wins the Toffees are now winless in three, after playing out a goalless draw with Aston Villa, narrowly losing the Merseyside Derby 2-1 and then bowing meekly out of the Carabao Cup. In the midweek clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Moyes shuffled his pack, making seven changes and he paid the cost as his makeshift team probably put in the worst display of the campaign so far. So I expect the rested players to be back in action when the serious business of Premier League football restarts.

There’s no doubt that Jack Grealish has been re-invented, or at least he’s remembered who he is…the mercurial player with a cheeky edge; and a match-winner at that. Since his arrival at Everton the England winger has made four assists and he is a shoe-in to return, as is keeper Jordan Pickford. James Tarkowski will line up alongside Michael Keane at the heart of defence with Idrissa Gueye patrolling the midfield in a much more formidable looking line-up.

 

Potter potted

West Ham’s start to the new campaign has been little short of catastrophic, from the moment they collapsed 3-0 away to new boys Sunderland on the opening day. Potter’s side followed that up with a shameful 5-1 hammering at home to Chelsea then a cup exit to bottom club Wolves.

Three very late goals gave West Ham a shock 3-0 win away to Nottingham Forest but, when the Hammers hosted Tottenham it was business as usual as they surrendered to a 3-0 defeat, following that up with a 2-1 loss at home to Crystal Palace, making it 13 goals conceded, the worst tally in the league. The rumour mill has already started whirring in the East End and fans are talking about who will replace Potter now that the axe has fallen. Nuno Espirito Santo is available since Nottingham Forest, rather mystifyingly dismissed him recently, and after he delivered European football.

Maybe the Forest owners have been impressed by the West Ham business strategy!

So Potter is out of a job five games into the new season and it’s hard to now where West Ham will go from here. The Hammers rely too heavily on talisman and skipper Jarrod Bowen who inspired his team’s 3-0 win over Forest with his 84^th minute opener, and he scored the consolation in defeat to the Eagles last week.

 

History

Over the past three decades these two clubs have met 59 times, with Everton winning 29 of those, West Ham winning 14 and there have been 16 draws.

With three wins, one loss and two defeats from their last six outings the Toffees are in good form, particularly when you consider the defeats were a narrow loss in the Merseyside Derby and a cup exit with a much weakened side. Meanwhile the Hammers have won one and lost five of their matches so far this season.

 

Betting Tip

Fans of the other teams, around the bottom end of the table, will be looking out for the Everton vs West Ham United updates in the hope that the Toffees can send the Hammers home empty handed. And, with the draw priced at 3.65 and an away win at 5.12 I believe that is exactly what is about to happen.

   

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