“We might be calling you…” – talkSPORT suggests West Ham could bring Moyes back for a third stint

On 10 November, a talkSPORT pundit speculated live on-air whether David Sullivan, West Ham’s co-owner, might have hinted to former manager David Moyes that a future return was possible if things didn’t work out. Moyes had ended his second stint with the club in the summer after his contract expired, wrapping up a tenure that began when he replaced Manuel Pellegrini at the end of 2019. This return came after Moyes had initially been succeeded by Pellegrini just 18 months earlier.

Currently, West Ham’s new manager, Julen Lopetegui, is struggling to find his footing. Following a 0-0 draw against Everton on 9 November, his record stands at just three wins from the first 11 league games. Tony Cascarino, a pundit on talkSPORT, raised a provocative question, wondering aloud if West Ham’s management had left the door open for Moyes’ return in their discussions. Cascarino suggested that the club might have told Moyes, “We might be calling you by Christmas, David,” as they decided to go in a different direction. In response, Natalie Sawyer suggested this scenario was unlikely, to which Cascarino pointed out that the club had already done something similar once before.

The idea of Moyes potentially making a return raises the question of whether West Ham’s ownership, specifically Sullivan, planned for an emergency fallback. There is precedent for the club turning to Moyes when prior choices failed, as seen when they reappointed him after Pellegrini’s stint didn’t work out. Now, with Lopetegui struggling, some fans may wonder if West Ham could consider a similar move, though there are reasons to doubt this will happen.

One key difference between now and Moyes’ first stint is the length and nature of his last tenure. Initially, Moyes’ first term was brief—he was brought in to prevent relegation and was not given a permanent position afterward. But his second tenure lasted over four years, bringing significant success but ultimately showing signs of decline, with fans growing disillusioned by the end.

The issues seen with Lopetegui’s team seem uncomfortably familiar to the challenges during Moyes’ final season, such as inconsistent league performance and tactical shortcomings. Although West Ham achieved Europa Conference League success, the frustrations surrounding Moyes’ last campaign haven’t fully faded from memory. Additionally, Moyes might be less inclined to consider a third stint after his experience with Sullivan.

As he revealed on The Overlap on 7 November, Moyes was offered a contract extension last season, only to have it rescinded following a series of poor results.

This reversal may have made Moyes wary of working under Sullivan again.

Reports suggest that Sullivan may already be having second thoughts about appointing Lopetegui, having recently met with technical director Tim Steidten to evaluate the manager’s performance and discuss potential changes in leadership [The Times, 10 November].

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Sullivan regrets letting Moyes go.

It appears that while another managerial change might happen before Christmas, the idea of Moyes returning for a third term is unlikely.

Ultimately, while Moyes’ history with the club and familiarity with its challenges might make him a reliable fallback option, it’s improbable he would be considered again so soon.

The situation with Lopetegui may prompt West Ham to re-evaluate, but bringing back Moyes might not be on the cards this time around.