Moyes faces two big decisions

Moyes faces two big decisions

Hughie Southon says Moyes faces two big decisions

David Moyes  faces two big decisions this week and both involve two key players Edson Alvarez and creative star Lucas Paqueta. We have two critically important home games on Thursday and Sunday – Olympiacos whom we really do need to beat to enhance our hopes of heading our Europa League Group. Then on Sunday comes a now huge match against Forest who beat Villa at the weekend to stand one point behind us in 12th place.

A defeat would push West Ham down the table and become out sixth consecutive defeat so it seems to us at CandH that he probably needs to play both of the players in the two games. In usual circumstances he would almost certainly leave one or the other or both on the bench but I really don’t see how he can afford to do anything other than play them in both games.

Moyes faces two big decisions

These two games – if not critical – are vitally important affairs and we need our best possible team out for both. I mentioned it after Forest had been promoted that manager Steve Cooper would have been my choice to replace Moyes such is his record at a number of clubs. He is now consolidating the east midlands outfit into a strong outfit.

They are well organised at the back and know how to press. This is going to be a very tough match and the match against Olympiacos is one we really can’t afford to lose. Thus I expect a team to put out for both matches which looks like this:  Areola; Coufal, Aguerd, Zouma, Emerson; Alvarez, Ward-Prowse Paqueta, Soucek, Kudus, Bowen. This is no time for rotation when several of those available in those circumstances are nothing more than reserve team players