David Moyes deserves better treatment from West Ham fans after guiding them to three successive European quarter-finals

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West Ham United booked their place in the quarter-final of a European competition for the third consecutive season on Thursday night, turning over a 1-0 deficit from the first leg and hammering Freiburg 5-0 at the London Stadium.

This win sets them up for a mouthwatering clash against Bundesliga leaders, Bayer Leverkusen.

The Hammers currently sit seventh in the Premier League, and while it is tight around the European places, they are on course to qualify for a form of European competition for the fourth season in a row.

Not a bad season for a team that lost Declan Rice in the summer, is it?

Well, according to a large portion of the West Ham fan base, there needs to be a change in the dugout.

In defence of the fans with this view, it can be infuriating to see supporters of other teams who don’t watch your club week in, week out call you out for your opinion.

However, it is becoming difficult to sympathise with fans calling for David Moyes’ head after he led the club to the promised land last season.

Kudus from his own half ????@WestHam || #UEL pic.twitter.com/I3yhP7My0h

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 15, 2024

West Ham won only their fifth-ever major honour, defeating Fiorentina in the final.

For the majority of clubs with generations of fans who have never seen their club lift any major silverware, the manager would be forever regarded as a legend of the club.

For many, players and managers alike can be remembered as legends just for making it to a final, let alone going one step further.

Add that to the loss of Declan Rice, who has shown this season what a mercurial talent he is, and it becomes hard for the neutral not to feel admiration for Moyes.

Coming into the business end of the season and still something to play for in two different competitions is the stuff of dreams for many clubs.

“For this club to do that three years in a row, I don’t know if that’s been done before at West Ham” ????

David Moyes on the demolition of Freiburg and guiding West Ham to three successive European quarter-finals…#UEL pic.twitter.com/bTRu1Ol3tH

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

With all due respect to West Ham, they are a team who have traditionally fallen into the bracket of either (at best) mid-table mediocrity, a relegation battle or a promotion charge in the second tier of English football.

Moyes recently claimed that he had been offered a new deal but was considering his options.

It becomes difficult not to think the barrage of abuse he has been subjected to by certain areas of the West Ham faithful has been playing on his mind.

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Sadly in football, people are remembered more fondly when they are no longer there and there is a high likelihood that whoever eventually does take over from Moyes won’t achieve what he was able to.

Those West Ham fans may then be reminded that the grass isn’t always greener.

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