Unbeknownst to many, West Ham and David Moyes have been quietly working their way up the division, now just two points behind Liverpool; whilst this is a representation of how close the league is this season it also represents how good Moyes’ side have been this season, just 7 points away from last season’s tally. Brought in following Pellegrini’s disappointing campaign, with the main goal to stay up, Moyes has exceeded the expectations of many West Ham fans, especially with a limited budget. At the beginning of the season, expectations were negative but Moyes’ men have changed that pessimism around.
WORK RATE
When Moyes took over for his second spell at West Ham, he did the same as he did the first time and got his players working hard again. It was an evident problem under Bilic and Pellegrini, with West Ham often being caught on the counter or out of shape. Moyes wasn’t afraid to drop good technical players for not working hard and replace them with the hard-working, for example, Felipe Anderson, who is now out on loan with FC Porto and out of favour. When he took charge, distance covered was low but Moyes got his players running and midfielder, Declan Rice had covered the 2nd highest amount of distance in the Premier League. In addition to this, players such as Tomas Soucek broke club records for distance covered in a league game showing an immediate Moyes effect.
CONSISTENCY
“And West Ham concede with minutes to go” and “Most points dropped from winning positions” are two things every West Ham fan will be frustrated hearing. A tendency to be winning and fall apart, whether it’s tactical decisions or a lack of concentration from the players, is one of the biggest downfalls of the Hammers’ seasons. However, Moyes seems to have turned it around, seeming to be able to keep more clean sheets. Although it could be due to having no fans in the ground, Moyes deserves all the credit for managing to keep the defensive stability, keeping 4 clean sheets in 5 games in 2021.
TRANSFER SIGNINGS
West Ham fans will be well aware of the limited funds available via Gold, Sullivan and Brady so Moyes will always have had to be smart with his transfers. Much to West Ham fans delight, Moyes had always had an ‘RB Leipzig’ style plan when it comes to transfers, looking for young, hard-working players. In January 2020, when he had first arrived, he welcomed Jarrod Bowen from Hull, who is now joint-top scorer this season, and Tomas Soucek, a Czech midfielder, that has been said to be the best signing since moving grounds. The tall centre midfielder provides a goal threat as well as a good defensive asset, proving a solid box-to-box option to partner Rice. Fellow Czech international, Vladimir Coufal, who arrived for just £5m, has the most assists for a right back (at the time of writing) and has proven to be the hardest to get past defensively, according to Opta. Two domestic loan signings, both with options to buy, have been excellent pieces of business. Craig Dawson, a veteran centre back, has kept 4 clean sheets in 5 games and is being recognised as a modern day James Collins. Algerian attacker, Said Benrahma lit up the Championship with Brentford so he was a glimmer of hope for the Hammers and he has shown glimpses of his flair and technical ability, showing to be an excellent piece of business from Moyes.
YOUTH
Previously known as the ‘Academy of Football’, West Ham are starting to produce talent again with Declan Rice the most obvious example. However, this season’s FA Cup saw debuts for Ademipo Odubeko, Nathan Trott, Jamal Baptiste and a goal for Oladapo Afolayan, as well as a first Premier League goal for fullback, Ben Johnson and a feature for Holland last season. Moyes’ ability to bring them on and drip feed them into first team football is evident in making sure they reach the Premier League standard.
So it’s clear to see that David Moyes has been impressing the Hammers fans and slowly creeping up the league. Would be perfect if he could keep Rice, the best CDM in the Premier League, and have some backing for Gold, Sullivan and Brady.
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