The manager had a great afternoon, getting everything right from the start and playing a team which showed he was taking the competition pretty seriously.
He pushed Yarmolenko into the main striker role and the Ukraine international turned in a decent performance to suggest that, although this was League One opposition, he may well be able to do a job in an emergency situation should it arise.
It’s all well and good saying: “Oh it was only Doncaster” but Moyes used the match well giving chances to Nathan Trott and a player barely known to us in Afalayan who looks to have a lot about him and grabbed a goal.
There were no downsides at all and he oversaw a performance which is precisely how games like this need to be won.
It may well be forgotten but this was our seventh unbeaten game on the trot goal with five clean sheets in there and just three goals conceded.
Hard to criticise the manager in those circumstances whilst today he was well on top of his game.
MOYES RATING 8
He did the job, and it was fun to see the youngsters out there.
We aren’t going be top of EPL, so pull no stops for FA Cup.
I think Moyes is doing great. Not really getting the recognition he deserves, especially from those who were keen on hammering him for his team selection against Brighton, the first of three games in six days by the way, and we didn’t lose any of them. This has now officially been West Ham’s best ever first half of a premier league season. That is quite some achievement considering the state we were in facing relegation under Pellegrini just before Moyes took over.
I’m being really picky here I realise but I’d like to have seen subs a little earlier, say, after the 3rd goal? To give Soucek and maybe Fornals/Lanzini/Benrahma as much rest as possible for Tuesday? A good day though, a strong starting 11 and the team took it seriously throughout.