West Ham United host Bournemouth today and David Moyes will hope to kick off his second stint in charge of the Hammers with a bang.
The former Everton boss has replaced the dismissed Manuel Pellegrini, and with just a place and a point between them and the relegation zone, West Ham need to start 2020 on a winning note.
Moyes spent just six months during his first reign as Hammers manager, leading the club out of the relegation zone to a 13th-place finish, and he has been tasked with a similar mission again.
The 56-year-old will hope to convince the West Ham board and get a new deal during the course of his 18-month contract, but Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas doesn’t understand why he was handed such a short deal in the first place.
“I am delighted that David Moyes is back in the game,” he told Sky Sports.
“For what reason he got 18 months I don’t know? Is it money, or does he need to prove he can still do it at this level?
“West Ham fans are not happy, but Moyes needed West Ham to survive when he took over for the first time, first and foremost, and he succeeded in doing that. It is about survival again, they are not going away from the position they are in and will be dragged further into this.”
Moyes has vowed to make it impossible for West Ham not to renew his deal after parting ways with him 18 months ago, and bagging all three points at the expense of Eddie Howe’s men will be a perfect way to start his second spell.
The Hammers have won just two of their last 13 league games, losing nine, and the new boss has a big job on his hands if they are to turn a corner.
Moyes has 19 games to get the job done, and it will be interesting to see how he fares after his predecessor secured just five wins and four draws during the first half of the campaign.
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