How great to be wearing a smile again…how great not to have to slink away from those who simply wanna give it large knowing you have no answer to rubbish display after rubbish display.
How brilliant to see a squad of players giving it until their legs buckle in exhaustion and how terrific to see a manager actually coming to terms with what the opposition are likely to be doing and plan how to stop them down at every point.
Nobody could have believed when David Moyes walked into Rush Green that the change in attitude, approach and on pitch endeavour could change so dramatically.
Indeed, the usual minority made their views on his appointment crystal clear rushing to ill informed judgements about him being a busted managerial flush without giving him any sort of chance.
Six games later – including a trio of terrible outings – he is becoming a hero as every player in the squad responds to his plans with passion and pride.
To have taken four points from the last six given the quality of the opposition ( although Arsenal are a shadow of what they once were ) is an enormous achievement.
But a bigger one lies immed
iately ahead! Can he steer the Hammers away from that horrible failure to beat teams around them – Stoke, Newcastle, Bournemouth and West Brom.
Can we carry the sort of threat that sees us pick up – yes I’m gonna say it – 12 points from games that are more than winnable given our current form. That’s how top teams think…nothing other than winning!
We have it spot on at the back and long may it continue. Now for the front end and I for one will be fascinated to see how the boss reshuffles his attacking options for Stoke and beyond.
Working out what he’s up to is almost as enjoyable as the games themselves and if he can get the next bit right who knows what’s possible over the rest of the season!
Phase one looks complete – now for the critical Phase Two…banging ’em in!
COYI
I said it in a previous post but although an unlikely outcome keeping Bilic may prove to be a happy accident if all works well, if Moyes had been with us from the start of the season he would possibly have had abuse and negativity from the fans but as it turns out he is what we needed and he has so far got most things right long may it continue COYI !!!
+1
I’m an Iron in the blood, quite literally. Check out my tag.
Hugh, you have produced a decent evaluation here, respect. I am not a Moyes aficionado, never will be. His personal coaching ‘brand’ is old school and out of synch with contemporary top class club football.
The ‘generalised’ stereotype that those who were not enthusiastic about Moyes’ arrival are a ‘minority’ (what next, the un-enthused have become the anti-Hammers enemy within?) and that those who were disappointed with Moyes’ appointment are ill informed. Why so? Moyes’ track record is evidential. It circulates around him like a fart in a spacesuit.
He did well at Preston and in consolidating Everton in the PL. He did abysmally at ManU, in Spain and Sunderland. By my not so ill informed reckoning that’s 2-3 against at this stage.
I’m ready to eat my hat. If I put my views out there on your blog, Hugh (and it’s the only blog I engage with) I’m prepared to be held to account for getting it wrong. But so far, I haven’t.
So far there are signs of change, reasons for optimism, but nothing startling or revelatory on the coaching front.
The team is now organising and turning up in an ‘Old school’ kinda way: graft, put a shift in, create very little indeed, run yourself into the ground and one goal in three games. Sorry, Hugh, Moyes is not a Messiah. He is repeating his age-old formula. At Sunderland he had poor players; with the Hammers he has a different calibre of player to get results from.
If Moyes turns things round, I’ll eat mŷ hat, fall on my sword, and rejoice because I’m an Iron in the Blood. One win is not a transformation, even if it’s Chelsea, 1 goal in 3 games is not an achievement, and losing honourably to Man City is still a defeat. And we are still in the relegation three.
I love the Irons, as you do Hugh, but let’s be rea
Us tv. And it does you no service at all to implicitly malign those who were not, still are not enthused by Moyes. Your blog is much better than that, I believe.
Very well considered piece mate – yes you may be right but perhaps one shouldn’t focus on what was perhaps an ill considered aside 🙂
With the defense looking solid I can only see things improving and when you look at the actual fire power we have it is promising. I know these players haven’t done much recently but we are now haling our defense and if the Moyes effect can work it’s Magic on our attacking players we have:
Arnie
Antonio
Chicharito
Carroll
Sakho
Ayew
Martinez
Add into that the attacking King Arthur we look very well placed to get goals with all different styles of play and opposition. May be too late for some to forgive but a resurgence may make Sakho change his mind about staying and an on song Sakho is a good player to have.
This is a top 10 squad and just goes to show what can happen in both a negative aspect and positive when players either believe in a manager or not. I am at times one of Nobles biggest critic but after being at the game last night watching MOTD on the way home and the full game again I have to say he was superb and his reverse pass for Chicha and his chest pass to Arnie were simply superb. If Hazard had of done those we would have been seeing it for weeks. We have a very youthful midfield around Noble with Obiang who was fantastic and Lanzini the balance at long last looks right. If you have got to the end of reading this you are a better person than me for reading this waffle but am one very very happy hammer this morning.
Ok well said , 1974 . Calm down though mate . We are all very well aware of our History of suddenly dropping in performance and erroneous defending and missing chances in front of goal . Not really concerned with Moyes past history because he was dealt a bad hand in all honesty . He is looking good at the LS and that’s all that I care about . It’s up to the players to vindicate him .,,,, and us as loyal Fans . We all get annoyed and over the years we have earned the right God only knows .
Reasons to Cheerful , 1 2 3 .
COYHAMMERS .
Would just like to ask Ruffellite if he thinks anyone and exactly who would have bsen a success at manure after fergie. Spain dont really like english managers and sunderland he was probably regretting as he was signing. I also was a sceptic but he has had some tough appointments. Either way he seems to be delivering now so I like the bloke.
I agree. He was given no money at Sunderland to improve an already low quality squad. It wouldn’t have mattered who was in charge, they would’ve gone down.
Similarly with Man Utd. He had a better win rate than van Gaal, won a trophy (admittedly the charity shield) whereas LvG didn’t, and was handed an ageing squad clinging onto past glories – an impossible job, in which he was given absolutely no time – unlike Ferguson when he took the reigns.
I have no comments on his Spanish adventure – don’t know enough about it, although I can’t see a gruff Scottish manager who believes in organisation and work rate ingratiating himself with relaxed, skill-based Spanish players…
I want him to repeat his feats with Everton, where he made them a constant top 7 team, and judging on what I’ve seen, I think that’s achievable.
quite agree.
I believe Ferguson’s best ever career achievement was to win the league in his last season. That squad was no way good enough and only the payers playing out of their skin in Fergies last season ( for Fergie ) was enough to win it. After that, some retired ( again ) and any new manager would have an almost impossible job to re-build from the bottom up. Moyes did well there with a very good win rate but no medals which is why he was fired. Van Gauw got far more to spend and with the spadework done by Moyes won the FA cup, and got fired. LOL that is no normal club.
Moyes is an excellent coach and manager, and although not my choice, I am confident he will get the results we want, both on an off the field.
And he actually didn’t fail at Real Sociedad they were in relegation and he kept them up w 15th finish. Most mgrs won’t even go foreign & tneu didn’t no like him at Real Socidead I wouldn’t call getting at team set for relegation at 15th a failure actually decent w no finds language & all things considered.
Anyone who went after Fergie would have failed & was left a againg sqaud which Fergie knew a lot where on last legs but he had to go for it.
. only 1 year so I would not call that a failure either Mou finished 5th first year w better sqaud & much more money.
SK I don’t considsred Man U or Real Sociedad to be a failure maybe not brilliant but did a decent job w what he had
It’s been West Hams biggest failure by a mile ; performing against the Big Boys and then letting our performance level drop against the Not-so-Big boys . The team & Club under Moyes are doing a sterling job right now . A draw away to Stoke suddenly feels insufficient and I love that scenario . How we decide to play and how we turn up is down to Moyes and the players . But , it must be said that there is an Air of Optimism blowing through the cobwebs of the LS . We are becoming Hard to beat . We just need to take that with us on our Travels .
COYHAMMERS .
I am with Ruffellite. But, I have to say that, so far, Morse has not only said the right things, he has also done the right things & got what seemed a totally sub-standard bunch of players playing as a team, believing in him & themselves , & giving their all for the club. This did not happen with Bilic , except for games against Spurs & Chelsea. Long may it continue. It seems that Moyes has given the team , & a lot of supporters, the necessary self belief to get us out of trouble. Long may it continue; & I will eat my words if they keep it up & I will acknowledge Moyer success.