David Moyes vs Frank Lampard: Will West Ham vs Everton loser get sacked?

West Ham United's Premier League meeting with Everton on Saturday afternoon threatens to carry more than the weight of three points for two struggling clubs and the precarious positioning of their managers.

Going into Saturday's showdown, there is a myriad of morbid similarities between this season's slackers. Both come into the contest languishing inside the relegation zone with a measly 15 points from 19 games; the pair have scored just 15 goals, only Wolves have netted fewer; each is enduring the longest winless droughts in the division (seven).

Taken in isolation, the dire state of each team would be enough to conjure questions about the manager's position. However, if either were to lose a head-to-head with a direct rival for the drop, David Moyes and Frank Lampard would surely struggle to avoid the sack.

Moyes has a far greater bank of experience to draw from compared to Lampard. The 59-year-old has overseen 180 matches as West Ham manager alone. Lampard has taken charge of 184 games across his entire managerial career.

As a grizzled veteran, Moyes was able to construct a calm exterior before the match. "It's a huge game for us both, yes, but one you look forward to. I've got to," Moyes stressed. The Hammers boss also insisted that West Ham are not a “divided” club. Everton certainly are.

Why could Frank Lampard get sacked?

Lampard's muddled and desperately vague grand view of the game hasn't aided his team's plight but the problems at Everton have seeped far beyond the white lines of the pitch. The club's board of directors were advised to stay away from Goodison Park for Everton's last match given the perceived threat to their safety posed by an increasingly irate fanbase.

Everton ceded a 1-0 half-time lead to bottom-side Southampton on that toxic afternoon and Lampard can scarcely afford a second defeat to relegation rivals in as many weeks. Lampard has steered Everton to just three top-flight victories all season - the club's lowest tally at the halfway mark of any Premier League campaign. Although, one of those wins came in the reverse fixture against West Ham.

Why could David Moyes get sacked?

Moyes may not be enduring the fan unrest which Lampard is facing - or the rebellion which defined his first spell at the helm of West Ham in 2018 - but the famously understanding Hammers supporters can't be entirely enamoured with the dramatic drop-off in results compared to just last season.

After a second consecutive top-seven finish, Moyes was backed with an eye-watering outlay in the transfer market. This season, West Ham have forked out almost €200m on transfers - an exorbitant total only bettered by Manchester United and Chelsea (per Transfermarkt). By comparison, only six Premier League sides have spent less than Everton in this season's windows (€78m).

Moyes can call upon one of England's most sought-after midfielders (Declan Rice), Brazil's number seven (Lucas Paqueta) and Italy's number nine (Gianluca Scamacca). Few managers would be enamoured with the squad Lampard has been lumbered with but there is plenty of talent in the east London stables.

According to BettingOdds.com, Moyes is the most likely Premier League manager to next get sacked. Lampard is a couple of percentage points behind. Saturday's outcome may well decide which incumbent will be first out of the door but both could be parsing through the classifieds sooner rather than later.