David Moyes claims he has ‘unfinished business’ after returning ‘home’ to West Ham United, but the Scot will be all too aware he must hit the ground running if he wants a welcome return.
The former Manchester United manager has returned to the East End 18 months after he was replaced by Manuel Pellegrini in the London Stadium hotseat.
The tables have turned though and now it is the Chilean collecting his p45 being usurped by Moyes.
The 56-year-old kept the Hammers in the Premier League during his last spell in charge, even guiding them to 13th place, despite the awful start made to the season under Slaven Bilic.
Although his appointment has been met by a somewhat lukewarm response by fans, it is worth remembering Moyes definitely made a poor West Ham side far better in his short space of time and much more difficult to beat.
Fans will point to a low win percentage, but the fact of the matter is West Ham were actually more compact in a 3-4-2-1 formation which got the best out of the limited squad he had.
Arthur Masuaku can be a defensive liability, but his dribbling ability and pace in a left wing-back position were utilised to the fullest under Moyes.
In behind him, the Scot entrusted Declan Rice and Aaron Cresswell to play as makeshift centre-halves to allow for Pablo Zabaleta on the opposite flank to also get forward as best he could.
But perhaps the greatest success story from Moyes time in east London was the partnership between Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini which began to blossom, seemingly out of nowhere.
The Austria international arrived as a surly £27m signing, but finished the season looking lean and with a newfound purpose in a centre-forward role which seemed tailor-made for his creative abilities.
Lanzini too was afforded more freedom with the natural width provided by the wing-backs and the defensive cover of two sitting midfielders in front of a back three.
His form for the Hammers towards the tail end of the 2017/18 season saw him bag twice against Everton on the final day of the season in a 3-1 win against Everton and also earned him a place in Argentina’s World Cup squad.
There is undoubtedly more quality in this West Ham side than the one Moyes inherited two years ago, with the likes of Pablo Fornals and Felipe Anderson capable of providing more of a creative spark than Cheikhou Kouyate or Andy Carroll were able to during Moyes’ previous tenure.
The trick will be to get the best out of them in the same way he did Lanzini and Arnautovic during his last reign.
Moyes will also know full well he is more likely to get financial backing this time around as opposed to the meagre budget he was afforded during his first and only January transfer window.
The Scot was only able to sign Patrice Evra on a free and Jordan Hugill in the January 2018 transfer window but, after getting a far longer contract this time around, the owners have to back him.
There are a number of players linked with the club, even so soon after Moyes’ return to the club.
Check out the latest names linked below and see how the Scot could integrate them into this Hammers side.
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Quite astoundingly, Giroud cannot get a game for the Blues but is still the No.1 striker for World Champions France under Didier Deschamps.
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According to The Sun, Moyes wants to make Giroud his first signing at the London Stadium after seeing Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi assume total control of the striking positions at Stamford Bridge.
The 33-year-old former Arsenal striker has a host of top clubs chasing his signature, including Juventus. But the fact he can stay in London could be a swing factor for the Hammers.
Plus, given he is out of contract in the summer, he could cost as little as £3m.
After signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a loan deal, Milan must trim their squad and have already begun identifying players who could leave.
Midfielder Kessie is one such player, with Wolves and the Hammers having previously enquired about the Ivory Coast international.
As reported by Tuttosport (via MilanNews.it), West Ham recently made new contacts with the Rossoneri to probe the ground for a potential transfer.
If Moyes can present a good offer in the January window, there is a good chance he could well nab the 27-year-old.
Taking Moyes’ previous shape at West Ham as a template, we can assume the first thing Moyes will look to do is work on scoring goals.
The Hammers have kept five clean sheets this season, one less than league leaders Liverpool, but have scored just 21 goals in 19 games.
Getting the best out of their attacking players is a must, with £45m signing Sebastien Haller crying out for service. Runners off him in the form of the creative Lanzini and the rapid Anderson will be crucial.
The midfield has become somewhat cumbersome and stagnant this season, with teams finding it too easy to play through the Hammers. As well as Rice has performed there, he is still a centre-back first and foremost and Moyes may see fit to bring the 21-year-old back to his natural position in order to consolidate in midfield.
An axis of Kessie and Fornals could work perfectly together, given how well the pair could complement one another. The Spain Under-21 international loves to get forward and attack, while Kessie is an enforcer by trade.
As mentioned above, Masuaku is best deployed as a wing-back to relieve him of his defensive duties and Ryan Fredericks could also benefit from more defensive liberation on the opposite flank given his electrifying pace.
Check out two possible formations Moyes could use at West Ham after the January transfer window below.