Everton signings and the Grim Reaper: Bookmakers take aim at new West Ham boss David Moyes

West Ham United supporters might be lamenting the appointment of David Moyes as their new manager until at least the end of the season, but they can at least make some money out of any misery they have to endure.

The 54-year-old has been installed as Slaven Bilic's replacement on a six-month deal and tasked with dragging the Hammers away from the Premier League bottom three, which they sank into after losing to Liverpool over the weekend.

Moyes enjoyed an encouraging start to his coaching career at Preston North End prior to his first top flight job with Everton, where he spent 11 years.

But ill-fated spells with Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland, whom he suffered relegation to the Championship with last term, has damaged his reputation almost beyond repair.

He arrives at the London Stadium with plenty to prove, yet in the eyes of many he is already doomed to fail given his track record since leaving Goodison Park in 2013.

Notorious online wind-up merchants Paddy Power have created a number markets to give fans the opportunity to capitalise on what could be a short and sharp spell in east London.

The bookmaker is offering odds of just 6/4 that Moyes will fail to last until the end of the season, despite having just become West Ham's 16<sup>th manager in their history.

Watford and Leicester City are Moyes' first two opponents as West Ham boss, before he takes on former club Everton on 29 November – and he is 3/1 to finish above his former employers come the end of the campaign. The Toffees are currently two points ahead after 11 matches.

During the 2016-17 season Moyes signed eight players who he had previously managed in an attempt to turn Sunderland around from the relegation battle, which had blighted the previous campaign.

Victor Anichbe, Adnan Januzaj, Paddy McNair, Donald Love and Steven Pienaar arrived in the summer before Joleon Lescott, Darron Gibson and Bryan Oviedo were acquired in the January window in a last throw of the dice.

Odds of 10/1 are on offer for Moyes to sign more than one player from his spell at Everton during the upcoming January window. The start of his reign at Sunderland was blighted by the admission his side were in a relegation battle and he is 14/1 to repeat the claim during the month of November.

Finally, having taken Sunderland down with barely a whimper, he is 200/1 to attend a match dressed as the Grim Reaper, though West Ham fans might be wondering whether he needs the costume at all.

A Paddy Power statement read: "There'll be plenty of Moyes around West Ham's latest appointment – as the club's owners once again demonstrate how far removed they are from its supporters. Still, Moyesie has a great track record in the Premier League – of signing Everton's duds. Which should be good news for whoever gets that job, at least."

Moyes will face the media for the first time as West Ham boss on Wednesday (8 November) when he is likely to be asked primarily over whether he can bounce back from three sackings in four years. Initially at least, he appears confident he has learned from his mistakes.

"I've managed five clubs since starting out nearly 20 years ago, starting at Preston and then going to Everton," he told the official West Ham website. "My period at Manchester United is well documented and I then did something I have always wanted to do by experiencing management abroad, with Real Sociedad. It's only been the last job [at Sunderland] where I feel it wasn't a good move and I didn't enjoy the experience. So I'm hungry to make sure I get things right now.

"I don't know any manager who hasn't gone through negative periods, especially in the game today. I hope it gives me great strength and understanding of what is required. The focus here is purely between now and the end of the season. The first thing is to win the next game and build from there, and I'm sure we will be in a much stronger position before long."