Football.London’s chief writer Alan Smith has provided a scathing review of David Moyes, questioning the manager’s comments following West Ham’s 1-1 draw with 17th-placed Newcastle United.
The Lowdown
The Irons failed to secure three points on Saturday as they were held to a disappointing draw against a resurgent Magpies outfit, who have won three and drawn three of their last six league games.
The Hammers failed to push on from sixth-placed Arsenal, who now match them on 42 points, with one goal the difference in the league table. However, Mikel Arteta’s men now have three games in hand over Moyes’ side, whilst Wolves and Tottenham also have extra games to play.
The 58-year-old could be getting more worried as the weeks pass, as West Ham could very easily let European football slip through their fingers altogether, never mind a Champions League finish.
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The Latest
Smith took to Twitter to share his review of the game from Football.London, highlighting the issues with Moyes’ management style which he feels are negatively affecting the club.
The reporter tweeted: “Should a club with top-four ambitions be ‘thrilled’ with a point at home to the team in 17th? Probably not but, then, did West Ham ever believe deep down that it was possible?”
Smith proceeded to claim in his corresponding article that it was once again tired legs and a lack of squad depth which caused the slack performance against Newcastle, despite Moyes’ insistence that fatigue is not an issue for the club.
The Verdict
Smith is right to criticise the Hammers boss, given his continue denial of the ongoing issues at the club. Moyes even said he was “thrilled” to have gained a point after such a poor performance, but coming from a team fighting for Champions League football, this is definitely not encouraging to hear.
Whilst the Irons are much improved when compared with two years ago, it was always inevitable that the squad were going to struggle in the second half of the season if the east Londoners failed to bring in any new additions in January.
This could have a lasting effect on the club, in terms of the calibre of players they will be able to attract in the future, and also their ability to retain their best talent.
If West Ham are to cement themselves as a top-six side, then Moyes may want to take a more ambitious outlook rather than being satisfied with a home draw against a relegation-threatened outfit.
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