Premier League: West Ham confirm the appointment of David Moyes as their new manager
West Ham have appointed David Moyes as first-team manager on an 18-month contract, the Premier League club have announced.
West Ham have appointed David Moyes as first-team manager on an 18-month contract, the Premier League club have announced.
Moyes replaces Manuel Pellegrini, who was sacked on Saturday, and returns to the London Stadium after an interim spell during the 2017-18 season.
The Scot guided the Hammers to safety in his first spell at the club before they decided not to offer him a new contract and instead appointed Pellegrini. He will take immediate charge of the team ahead of their New Year's Day fixture against Bournemouth.
We are pleased to confirm that David Moyes has returned to the Club as first-team manager. pic.twitter.com/Y2fxo5hTCE
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 29, 2019
Moyes told the club website: "It's fabulous to be back. It feels great to be home. I've missed being here because I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed being around the stadium and I loved being in this part of the world and I missed the club, so I can't wait to get started.
"I'm feeling very proud that I'm back here at West Ham. But I think more importantly I'll be looking to see what I can do and what I can make improvements to, how we can get some wins with the players and how we can get some quick wins on the field as well.
"I do believe that the squad of players I've got here is a better squad of players than when I took over before, so I am looking forward to working with them.
"I think there's got to be a short-term goal for us just now to get the wins to get us away from the wrong end of the league and what we're going to do over the next six months, then what we're going to do over the next period as well. The start is really focusing on the immediate games."
The 56-year-old has spent 15 seasons managing in the Premier League, including an 11-year spell with Everton and unsuccessful stints with Manchester United and Sunderland.
West Ham joint-chairman David Gold is confident that Moyes is the man to move the club, who sit 17th in the Premier League and just a point above the relegation zone, up the table.
"David proved in his short time with the club that he was capable of getting results and we believe that he will start moving the club in the right direction once again," Sullivan said.
"We are delighted to welcome David back - he knows the club well and he built strong relationships during that time which will be crucial for the work that needs to be done going forward."
Moyes will address the media at 2pm on Monday as he sets about preparing for the Bournemouth encounter, a fixture that could prove crucial to both struggling clubs' prospects heading into the second half of the season.
David Moyes: Managerial record so far
Preston (January 1998 - March 2002)
Moyes started his career at Preston in 1998 and guided them to the Division Two title and promotion to the second tier. The club narrowly missed out the following year, losing the play-off final, before Moyes moved the following season to Everton.
Everton (March 2002 - May 2013)
Moyes managed at Everton for 11 years between 2002 and 2013. During his long tenure at Goodison Park, Moyes led Everton to a place in the Champions League in 2005, and five top-six finishes. In fact, the Toffees only finished once outside the top 11 during his time at the club, a 17th-place finish in 2004. Moyes also led Everton to their first cup final for 14 years in 2009, although they ultimately lost to Chelsea.
Manchester United (July 2013 - April 2014)
In 2013, the Scottish manager moved to Manchester United, after being chosen to lead the Red Devils by retiring manager Sir Alex Ferguson, on a six-year deal but he would only last 10 months at Old Trafford. Under Moyes, United were seventh in the table, having lost six games at home, although he fared better than many of his successors with a win rate of 56.3 per cent.
Real Sociedad (November 2014 - November 2015)
With the club sitting 15th in the table, Moyes was appointed manager of his first and only overseas club to date. During his first season, Moyes led the club to memorable 1-0 win over Barcelona, but his second season got off to a poor start and he lost his job almost exactly a year after taking over.
Sunderland (July 2016 - May 2017)
In 2016, Moyes moved back to the UK, following his time in Spain, replacing Sam Allardyce, and retired less than a year later, a day after the season ended in which Sunderland were relegated from the top flight.
West Ham (November 2017 - May 2018)
Moyes was appointed West Ham manager with the club in the relegation zone in November 2017 on a six-month deal, and led the club to Premier League survival for the 2017-18 season before his contract expired.
Hammers backed to avoid the drop
Despite their position in the table, Sky Bet have West Ham as 5/2 chances for relegation and make them 2/7 to avoid the drop.
A top-half finish is 8/1 while it's 2/1 that they finish above Burnley and 5/4 that they outdo Newcastle.
Premier League relegation (odds via Sky Bet)
- Norwich - 1/6
- Aston Villa - 4/9
- Watford - 5/6
- Bournemouth - 5/2
- West Ham - 5/2
- Newcastle - 5/1
- Southampton - 5/1
Odds correct at 1140 BST (29/12/19)
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