Fair play, some of us have had a lot to say about David Moyes – myself included and some of it not very flattering at all – but today he showed us what he can supply when the moment is right.
It doesn’t need saying that Norwich City are a poor side but one can never be sure which West Ham will turn up and today it was a side full of character, enterprise and quality.
The manager should be handed a lot of credit for that as he got most everything right and surprised us by handing Mark Noble a role which could extend his career given his performance today.
The form of Lanzini. Anderson and Yarmolenko’s low profile display when starting against Burnley saw the manager push the captain into a more forward role and without any need to chase back given the presence of Rice and Soucek it suited the captain down to the ground.
With two assists and some fine forward momentum plus a great Mikey Antonio performance, the manager got most all of it right on a day when he knows he had to.
And afterwards – talking at https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2020/july/11-july/david-moyes-lets-keep-these-standards-high he said: “That was a really good performance. We scored four, and really, if we’d have scored seven or eight, I’d probably have been thinking that was about right.
“The clean sheet was all-important as well, because keeping them to none always gives you a chance. Even when it’s 2-0, you don’t want them to get a goal; even when it’s 3-0, you don’t want them to get a goal, so I have to praise them for that, but ultimately we made a lot of opportunities today and probably should have scored more.
“There aren’t many players in the Premier League who get to score four goals. I have to say he [Antonio] probably had one of his best days in training yesterday. I can smile about it, but it’s a big thing about training well, being good at what you do, and you hope you take it into the games and it leads you into good performances.
“It’s a message for all the West Ham players: let’s keep training well, let’s keep the standards high, and let’s keep trying to get positive results.”
“He’s actually improved even from when he’s started [playing as the lone striker], because we were always looking to get him in behind but now we’re able to get him a bit more into feet, set things up and play off him.
“Because of his pace and his threat and his power, nobody really wants to play against him, so he’s become a good threat for us.”
Pic courtesy www.whufc.com
“Nobes played really, really well today,” Moyes observed. “I’ve got to say all the central midfield players did a great job today, because Norwich look to play through you and try and pass through, so we had to make sure we were in good positions, intercepting and trying to win the ball back, and then play it forward quickly.
“I thought Nobes epitomised that really. I thought his attitude, his leadership, his demands on the players – what he wants from them as well – is a great help for the manager.”
He added: “The job’s not done, that’s for sure. The big picture is that we have to be a Premier League team when the supporters come back hopefully at the start of next season. If that’s available, we have to give them Premier League football.
“We’re trying to improve, we want to try and keep improving the players, push them on, more demands on them all the time, and today, they were very good – they did everything that was asked of them.”
Moyes did his job today very well, I was disappointed to see Noble in the team but I knew why he was selected as Norwich do play through the middle. I think the only thing that disappointed me today was the fact he brought on Wilshere instead of Lanzini. Lanzini has been influential and has trianed all year. Wilshere has missed mostof the year and to be honest I cid not believe he deserved to come on ahead of Lanzini. A decision I don’t believe was correct by Moyes.
I understand your point but the outcome was settled and Lanzini will be needed in our subsequent matches. Wilshire was brilliant when Ramsey was injured and no-one will take him off our payroll. He needs to play and earn his money.
Great to see Moyes getting some credit, once again was put in charge of us Hammers in a very difficult situation and with a lot of players he wouldn’t have chosen I suspect. Hope he’s given a good chance next season.
In response to the comment above “Lanzini influential” ???
The role of Mark Noble in the match was the most interesting aspect for me. Tactically Moyes might have found a way to continue to use him as a creative force in midfield given others who should perform this role are not producing it at present.
Noble didn’t have to track back, but he did. He was always there in the way of the Norwich attack. Probably one of the best performances from a much maligned captain.