'I would love to see him come in' - Jose Mourinho touted for stunning Premier League return with West Ham

Posted Sunday, April 14, 2024 by Goal.com

Jose Mourinho is being talked up to become the next West Ham boss, replacing David Moyes, after their Europa League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.

Mourinho is currently a free agent
Tipped to become the next West Ham boss
The Portuguese is waiting for the right opportunity

WHAT HAPPENED?

Moyes, the current manager of the Hammers, has earned legendary status at the London Stadium after leading the club to UEFA Conference League success last season, marking their first major trophy in over four decades. However, Moyes has faced criticism for his extremely defensive tactical approach, particularly evident in the recent 2-0 Europa League quarter-final first-leg defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Tim Steidten, the technical director of West Ham United, will, if it comes to it, spearhead the search for a potential replacement for Moyes. Allegedly, Steidten and Moyes have not always been on the same page and alternative options like Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter have been mentioned as possible successors, but Mourinho has now been touted as a potential option; he is currently out of work after his sacking by Roma.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has expressed his support for Mourinho's potential appointment while questioning Moyes' future at the club.

“I don’t know if David wants to stay, to be honest,” McAvennie told Football Insider. “Why has he not signed a new contract by now if he wants to stay? Graham Potter has been mentioned, Jose Mourinho has been mentioned. I’m a big fan of Mourinho – I don’t care what anyone says. That guy knows how to win tournaments and win trophies.

"He wasn’t good enough for Man United – he only won the Europa League and the [Carabao] Cup! Apparently, he was a disaster there – really? I would love to see him come in. He gets criticised for his negative play, but if Mourinho had that team he wouldn’t be negative. Anyone can see that the defence needs to be fixed. Mourinho is solid defensively – that’s for sure.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Statistically, Mourinho holds an impressive career record, boasting a win percentage of 61.87%, with victories in 701 out of 1133 games managed. In contrast, Moyes has a win percentage of 43.70% from his second stint at West Ham, securing 111 wins out of 254 matches.

WHAT NEXT?

West Ham will be back in action against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday. Moyes will hope to put three points on the board, before the return leg against Bayer Leverkusen next week.