Moyes excuses just don’t add up

Moyes excuses just don’t add up

David Moyes’s recent comments drawing comparisons between West Ham and Aston Villa don’t quite add up. Moyes has a history of delivering enigmatic statements during his press conferences, and I sometimes wish journalists would challenge him on it. Following West Ham’s 4-1 defeat at Villa Park, Moyes showered praise on his opponents.

Moyes commended Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side for their display of quality and a potent attacking force during the match. He acknowledged Villa’s position among the top teams in the Premier League and emphasised the high standards required to compete with such quality.

Moyes spoke like he’d just arrived at West Ham

The West Ham manager then expressed his ongoing efforts to build a competitive team and his hopes for future improvements. However, his comparison between the two teams doesn’t quite align with the reality of the situation. A reality I wish someone would have pulled him up on.

If one didn’t know the situation, you would be forgiven for thinking that Villa were Real Madrid, and West Ham were Grimsby. The stark facts are that Moyes has been at West Ham three times longer than Emery has been at Villa. The talk of catching them and building a team is preposterous.

This wasn’t the language of a manager years into the job. It was the sort of statement a manager might issue if he’d just joined a club and was discovering his players. He spoke with detachment, but make no mistake about it . . . this is David Moyes team.

Moyes shouldn’t be playing the inexperienced pauper card. He’s spent more than £400m at West Ham whilst Emery has been at Villa Park for less than a year. I really don’t approve of Moyes misty eyed appraisal of Aston Villa either. The messaging sends the wrong signal to the fans and an even worse one to the players.

If the Midland club are ‘levels’ above West Ham, I’d like to know why? Moyes has had more time and more money, he shouldn’t be building anything, it should be built.