Moyes to come out fighting
David Moyes is a man with his back against the wall, and increasingly isolated. Support for the West Ham manager within the club seems to be in short supply, and the Hammers’ boss appears to have few allies. However, David Moyes is nothing if not a fighter, and he’ll be eager to puff his chest out and prove everyone wrong following reports that he will not be offered a new contract.
I fully expect Moyes to field his strongest team against both Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest. It would also be unsurprising if West Ham were to win both games and possibly do so comfortably. For this reason I’d expect him to field Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, Edson Alvarez and Lucas Paqueta in both games.
In the event of success in both fixtures, Moyes may well have a few choice words to share during his post-match press conference. The Scotsman is also well aware that he’s addressing a largely sympathetic audience in the national press. I’d certainly expect him to play to the galleries and demonstrate how affronted he is.
I expect David Moyes to come out fighting following reports that he’ll not be offered a new Hammers deal.
Whilst West Ham fans may hold a more nuanced view of the manager’s tenure, there is a definite perception from those outside the club that he’s done an excellent job at West Ham. This is something Moyes will be eager to remind everyone of in the event of back-to-back victories.
Numerous polls have indicated that Moyes retains the confidence of a third of the Hammers fan base. This figure will be misunderstood by the larger football community and Moyes will know it.