Moyes reveals why no kids will be in FA Cup clash

David Moyes spoke to the media ahead of West Ham’s FA Cup third-round fixture with Stockport County this morning from Rush Green.

It’s the archetypal banana skin match as witnessed by BT Sport having taken it as their Monday night TV match.

Mind you, it could be worse with no games being played as was the case in the first lockdown and Moyes remains happy that the season is continuing and believes the Irons are in good shape for the match at Edgeley Park.

Exactly what type of team he puts it remains one of those closely guarded secrets with which we have become very familiar since his retiurn but I’d bet money he makes a case for Mark Noble and at the other end of the age levels Ben Johnson.

Ryan Fredericks look certain to get a runout and this may be a game where Issa Diop is offered an opportunity although the manager does seem particularly keen on Craig Dawson.

The manager said:  “Football is playing such a big part of a lot of people’s lives. Unfortunately, everybody’s at home at the moment we’re in lockdown, and I think football is helping many.

So we chose to come back last year, we thought it was the right thing to do to get football back. And from that point of view, I’m happy football is back.

But we have to remember that the players are the ones who are taking risks, every week, they continue playing, they have to go back to the families.

So we have to see that the players are the ones who are really out there taking a lot of risks and even though they are tested, and we are all tested regularly, it’s still a big risk.

They have to take part, travel, we have to fly to games, they have to stay in hotels, so all those things make it quite difficult for the players as well.”

The gaffer continued “We are in great spirit, we’ve just come back from a win against Everton. We have been able to give the players a few days off because of the three games in six days which we had to play so we’re in very good spirits.

“We have a good squad of players at the moment. People will understand that most clubs have not been able to use the young players because we’re not able to get them tested, they’re not able to train with us.

So they’re outside the bubble. So for many reasons, there’s lots of reasons why we certainly won’t have a team full of young players, that’s for sure.”