Johnny Phillips: Davod Moyes’ legacy will stand test of time at West Ham

This afternoon, the 61-year-old says a final farewell after two spells at the club.

Despite the recent run of form that has included some heavy defeats, the Hammers are on course for a top-10 finish.

That would make it three top-half placings in the past four-and-a-half seasons.

Only Harry Redknapp has achieved that with West Ham in the Premier League era.

After stabilising the club in a brief first spell, his second coming at the London Stadium has been a triumph.

Again, the side was flirting with relegation when Moyes took over but, assisted by a strong backroom staff including the likes of Billy McKinlay, Kevin Nolan and Paul Nevin, he led the club to European glory last season with a dramatic Europa Conference win in Prague against Fiorentina. There is no doubt that the loss of Declan Rice has severely hampered the club this season.

Maybe it is the recent inconsistency of the team that has drawn criticism but, again, there has been none of the turmoil that characterised the reins of previous managers.

Moyes has set a high bar and if his side have sometimes failed to live up to expectations this season it has not been for the want of trying.

It would be grossly unfair to label Moyes as a cautious manager when there have been plenty of examples of attacking flair during his second spell of five years.

The European glory should be put on a pedestal.

It was West Ham’s first trophy for 43 years and ensured a third consecutive European campaign.

Moyes’s successor, Julen Lopetegui, will be doing well to match that record.

There is a certain irony to the imminent appointment of the Spaniard.

Many of Moyes’ more vocal critics in the stands have been hankering after a younger, more progressive coach.

That they have ended up with a 57-year-old pragmatist is an interesting turn of events.

Moyes leaves East London with his name up there alongside John Lyall and Ron Greenwood in the Hammers’ managerial hall of fame.

That night in Prague will live forever in the memory of those who attended and will stand the test of time when it comes to ranking the Scot’s legacy.

Dancing away to The Proclaimers in the dressing room and hugging his dad on the sidelines, few could deny one of the game’s longest-serving managers his moment in the sun.

The goalscorer that night, Jarrod Bowen, is emblematic of his manager’s ability to identify talent from lower down the leagues and allowing it to flourish.

There have been successes from further afield too, with Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus two of the most exciting players to have pulled on the shirt in recent years. If the side’s 2024 form has dipped, is that hardly surprising?

Moyes’ departure was one of the worst kept secrets in football and such a climate makes it difficult for any manager to continue to inspire their players.

The 70 goals conceded in the Premier League so far is out of character for a manager who earned his reputation on defensive solidity and organisation.

It is an anomaly that should be taken in the right context.

Had West Ham kept hold of Moyes in 2018, during his first spell, then arguably an even greater legacy could have been built.

Instead the club somewhat haphazardly turned to Manuel Pellegrini only for that experiment to quickly run out of legs.

In many respects Moyes was a manager who bucked the trend.

He offered stability where his predecessors will be remembered for a combination of inconsistency, flair, under-achievement and short-termism.

Moyes leaves a strong squad behind and with it a template for success.

Lopetegui could not wish for a better platform to go to work.

It will be interesting to see how the post-Moyes era develops, but for now we should give credit to the outgoing manager and a job well done.