Another massive Moyes contradiction

Massive Moyes contradiction pinpoints where he’s gone wrong

Allow me to be absolutely clear about this… I don’t overly blame David Moyes for his tactical approach against Leverkusen. His defensive system is set in stone, and he’s not about to change now. Also, his tactics have worked before, even this season against teams as good as Arsenal, and they nearly worked last night.

What I can’t fathom, for the life of me, is his bonkers decision not to strengthen his squad in January. Whilst I did not agree with his decision to go with what he had, I had always assumed that Moyes would be comfortable with the size of the squad.

It’s a huge gamble to go into a European and domestic run-in with limited numbers. Therefore, I was surprised to hear the manager praising his opposite number, Xabi Alonso, for using and rotating his squad.

It was as if Moyes understood the value of substitutions and resting players, yet had chosen not to do so himself.

Speaking in the build-up to Sunday’s Premier League game against Fulham, Moyes said, “The boys worked really hard to keep a good team down, but we knew Leverkusen was very strong and have 16, 17 players who they play and who are very much part of the squad, and Xabi Alonso has used them all year. They came on late in the game and made that little bit of difference.”

“The Thursday-Sundays can be difficult, but when you’re out of it, you’re desperate to get back in amongst it. We’ve had three years of it which have been brilliant for us, and if we can make it four, it would be fantastic.”

Moyes built this squad over 4 years and it’s paper thin

And there you have it, from the manager’s own mouth. An admission that two games a week is difficult, while conceding that it’s advantageous to use the substitutes’ bench. And before anyone feels too sorry for Moyes, who was almost starry-eyed at the quality of Leverkusen’s squad depth, remember this is Moyes’s project four years in.

He might admire the players Alonso has at his disposal, but the fact of the matter is that Leverkusen have spent considerably less than West Ham. The decision to operate with one hand tied behind his back was entirely Moyes’s. After a £400m+ transfer outlay, the Scotsman should have constructed a full and workable squad, not one that’s threadbare with unused substitutes.