West Ham United manager David Moyes struck a positive note ahead of their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Bayer Leverkusen, acknowledging the difficulties but emphasising his team’s readiness for the challenge.
Moyes struck a positive note ahead of their Europa League quarter-final first leg
Speaking at the BayArena, Moyes acknowledged the significant hurdle West Ham faces: “It’s as big a challenge as we’ve had so far. We’ll have a good go at it, it’s going to be a difficult game, but it’s one we’ll try and enjoy.” However, he underscored the team’s resolve: “We want to be flexible, we want to be able to change and adapt during the game.”
With key players missing due to injuries and suspensions, Moyes highlighted the importance of adaptability for both teams: “They’re an extremely adaptable team, they alter as well, so we want to be able to move with them.”
The manager sees this as an opportunity for his squad players to step up: “Absences happen in football. You get suspensions and injuries – it’s part of the game. We have to show what we’ve got – this is why we’ve got a squad of players and they’ve got a good opportunity.”
Moyes also emphasised the importance of experience and composure in European competition: “You don’t get to quarter-finals often in your career, so let’s show what we can do. We’re away from home in the first leg of a two-legged tie, so we want leadership. We don’t want to be running all over the place to win the game in the opening part, because we’ve got two games to play.”
Looking at the broader European campaign, Moyes expressed his pride in reaching this stage: “I think when you get to April and you’re still in Europe it’s a pleasure. This is the time of the year when you need to be on form and find a winning way, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
West Ham will be looking to overcome a challenging away leg and their depleted squad as they aim to secure a positive result against a strong Leverkusen side. Moyes’ message of adaptability, resilience, and experience will be crucial as they fight for a place in the Europa League semi-finals.
A challenge that he gave himself by sitting back for 90mins. Moyes is a disgrace to football.