David Moyes has been undermined by West Ham's owners from the start and has little reason for optimism

Whether it is fictitious or not, the new manager bounce is something that is largely accepted in football. The new manager is expected to enjoy a honeymoon period in which the players improve and results turn upwards, too. David Moyes must be counting on such an effect in order to keep West Ham up after a miserable start to the season, but he finds himself already doubted by his new club’s fans. Looking at his career post-Everton, it is likely that few of his players will be holding on to hope that this is the man for him. Plans for moves elsewhere could already being planned.

The theory of the bounce makes some kind of intuitive sense. The joys of novelty, and the almost inevitable change in approach from a manager who had lost his players, would go some way to providing something positive for West Ham’s players. Tactical exertions may be lessened or stepped up, and training might not become so boring and repetitive. The problem for Moyes is that there is little evidence the kind of changes he makes are ever well received by players.

Tactically, he has been dismissed by others reactions as well as his own statements. At Sunderland he gave Darron Gibson and Jack Rodwell the nod ahead of the superior Didier Ndong because he wanted more ‘Britishness’ in the team. That a club should want some local players to represent the team makes sense, as clubs should to some extent demonstrate a link between the team on the pitch and their communities. That it is extended to something as vague as Britishness – a notion that no politician has ever defined successfully in over a decade of attempts – and includes Gibson, who represents the Republic of Ireland in preference to Northern Ireland, shows what a useless instrument it is when it comes to selecting a team.

READ MORE: Pistorius sentence doubled on appeal

READ MORE: Gossip – Arsenal ‘target Bale’ and more

It goes further back than his time at Sunderland. He made no useful impact at Real Sociedad, and at Manchester United he was treated with disdain by his players. Phil Neville was one of his choices as a coach, and as he demonstrates with his regular media appearances, it is no wonder he is such an easy target. A brilliant England cricketer at youth levels, it is fair to say that cricket’s loss was also football’s loss. If you need to have any more reason to doubt Neville’s ability, then just last week he was suggesting that Everton need to just let Wayne Rooney drop back into midfield, which is less a canard than it is a dead, drowned and shot duck.

Moyes’ tactics go beyond the insightful application of a nebulous adjective in midfield, though. It also includes lots of running. Moyes has turned up to West Ham talking about the virtues of hard work, as if that was the problem with Slaven Bilic. It is obvious that Bilic was not transcendentally inspiring for the last season at West Ham, but he had done plenty of good work in his first season. He had to deal with the frightful efforts of the owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, who went out of their way to undermine him through a child’s Twitter account wherever possible. They reportedly stiffed him on transfers.

The squad that Bilic was given was ageing and slow, with little pace or youth to work with. None of the players appear to be inherently garbage, but it does not appear that the squad was not assembled by anyone with more than seven firing synapses. Double training sessions, or telling the players to pump it long to Andy Carroll, are unlikely to revolutionise results. Given Moyes had a palpable mistrust of Shinji Kagawa and Juan Mata, and slowly reduced Manchester United to a side that humped cross after cross after pointless cross into the box to no end, it is hard to see what constructive changes Moyes might possibly make with Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini. I suppose he can replace one of them with Steven Pienaar in January.

READ MORE: See where your club ranks in the injury standings

READ MORE: Robinho sentenced to nine years in jail for rape

Moyes also has to contend with Javier Hernandez. Hernandez might harbour hopes that he never has to play for West Ham again. Injured on duty for Mexico, he is likely to miss at least two more games as he recovers. Given the disdain that Hernandez holds Moyes in, it is conceivable that any injury can be used as cover as he attempts to get away from West Ham as swiftly as possible. Although, Hernandez may hold on for another major reason that undermines Moyes.

As well as knowing that any relegation will simply allow them to move on, they also know that should West Ham scramble to victory, then Moyes is unlikely to be rewarded with an extended contract. The bonus won’t hurt his morale, but a six-month contract means that the players don’t have to contend with him for too long. He has been undermined by West Ham’s owners’ obvious lack of faith in him from the start.

West Ham take on Leicester City tonight. They too have a new manager, but they also have a scouting system which at least attempts to improve the squad with logic. They have a squad that is capable of much more if they are used intelligently, rather than run ragged on the training ground. Moyes was one a manager to be respected, but is fast becoming one to be pitied.