Moyes will earn new deal on back of restored pride

West Ham back mixing it with best and looking to cement sixth

- Malik Ouzia

IT WAS a meeting with Brighton in March that represented the nadir of last season's West Ham struggle, a 4-0 thrashing on the south coast heightening relegation fears and bringing the most vociferous criticism of David Moyes's management heard all term.

It felt like end of days stuff, the relationship between fans and coach fractured seemingly beyond repair and if, with a European campaign only days from resuming, the calls for Moyes to be "sacked in the morning" seemed a touch fanciful, so too did the idea that the Scot would still be in situ now.

For a while, last summer looked ripe for a natural parting of the ways, until Europa Conference League glory ended a 43-year trophy drought and gave a troubled season a transformative facelift.

But as Brighton prepare to visit the London Stadium this evening, Moyes has moulded such a resurgent force that his tenure now seems certain to roll on, with talks over a new deal set for later this month. "We will get it done," Moyes said last week. "I don't see many problems about it."