David Moyes has lived to see another Premier League game at West Ham despite the 4-0 thrashing against Brighton last weekend but a defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday could bring an end to his spell at the London Stadium.
The Scottish manager has seen his side regress after the dizzy heights of last season which saw them flirt with a top-four finish and reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Therefore, it is no surprise that a number of managers are being linked with the West Ham job in case the board do pull the trigger on Moyes, with Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick one of those touted as a potential option.
Could West Ham appoint Michael Carrick?
According to The Times, the Hammers could look to bring back their former academy talent in a managerial role after his impressive stint with Middlesbrough in the Championship.
The 41-year-old enjoyed a near-spotless spell as caretaker manager of Manchester United, having become assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time at Old Trafford.
He was handed his first permanent job as a manager by Middlesbrough back in October, taking over at the Riverside after Chris Wilder was sacked, with the north east side languishing in 21st position.
He has overseen an impressive transformation since then, averaging 2.15 points per game with The Boro, which has seen them put themselves in contention for automatic promotion, as they currently sit third in the second tier.
Former Premier League footballer Jamie O’Hara, told talkSPORT [05/03/2022, 17:00] that the club should be looking at hiring Carrick if they decide to sack Moyes in the coming weeks.
He said: “Carrick is absolutely flying at Middlesbrough. They’re third in the table. Carrick at West Ham ain’t a bad shout, you know.”
Could Carrick unlock Gianluca Scamacca?
Carrick’s work at Middlesbrough sees them ranked as the second-top scorers in the division behind Burnley, so he clearly knows how to get the best out of his attackers.
The resurgence of Chuba Akpom has been particularly impressive, as, after a number of difficult spells in England and abroad, the former Arsenal youngster is enjoying the best season of his career, with 21 league goals to his name.
West Ham spent big on a striker of their own in the summer, splashing out £35.5m on Gianluca Scamacca, but he has done little to impress thus far, boasting just three goals in 16 Premier League appearances.
However, the talent is clearly there as the Italian hit 16 Serie A goals last season, and with the right, attack-minded manager, he could finally show his best form at the London Stadium.
The Italy international is still only 24 and shouldn’t be written off after a difficult start to life in England, as appointing a promising young coach such as Carrick could still see him tread a different path to the strikers who have failed before him at West Ham.