Match verdict by Hughie Southon
What we saw today was nothing new – it started way into last season!
If we had played eleven games this season and won two of them against, by the way. Everton and Norwich – as was the case most would be calling for David Moyes’ head.
We have managed five points from the last thirty and the defeats now include three this term against Man City, Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
This is the same Brighton who played in much the same way as they did when beating us in the last game of the previous campaign demonstrating we have learned nothing.
The reality is that we are going backwards and have been for some time. The time is coming when a judgement will need to be made on Moyes if this continues and there were few signs today it won’t.
Yes, I know there are problems at the back where today new signing Thilo Kehrer made a shocking out of position tackle to give Brighton their penalty whilst the team at large were frankly totally awful in trying to work a system which everybody is aware of and knows how to play against.
The forthcoming fixtures look more than difficult and should, as seems possible, we go three games without a point, judgement time will be here.
David Moyes has to get things right very quickly or face the music which, whether some like it or not, has been playing in the background for some time now.
His substitutes were as ineffective today as his starting eleven when Benrahma was possibly the only creative force and as usual found himself taken off .
Whether some fans ,like it or not, the results and stats are beginning to speak for themselves – let’s hope there’s a training ground miracle and they change.
I’m not holding my breath!
It’s horrible but we are really ineffective and lethargic. The situation is becoming very clear and those of us who reluctantly were raising alarm bells (years of bitter experience!!) were berated by the blindly loyal are unfortunately being proved right. We are already looking for last minute signings and a miracle three games in.
I really do think Moyes has passed his sell by date now & i think the players are showing that too, i just hope they didn’t recruit Warburton to take over from Moyes coz that would be a disaster
It’s definitely the sort of form that sees managers sacked. Couldn’t agree more that we are predictable, every game seems a carbon copy of the last regarding set up and substitutions.
The question is though, who would you want to get in if we lose for the next 3 games?
Benitez hasn’t managed since Everton so he’s certainly available.
Pochettino would be my choice. Dyche too used to relegation battles. If not Moyes it needs to be an upgrade
Sean Dyche is available and can keep us up and push us to Europe. Benitez, is good and could push us on to the next level, in time. However, we need to start working to stay at the level we are at, or we will go down. Mr Moyes should do the decent thing and resign, or the Board should SACK him. No more he was good in the past. We are trying to be a bigger Team, let’s move on and up.
Agree with the article, no fan of Moyes for all the reasons already expressed by others,
surely will be gone if we lose to Villa after Europe and Spurs, but please don’t mention Dyche folks, the master of ‘hoofball’, and possibly a downgrade on Moyes
Surely not – WE are the masters of hoofball!
I would like to see DM & the players work as a united team . Hard work & team spirit means a lot in this game . Come on lads sort it we are better then this . Get the mentality right and work hard !!!
Aye, that’s so true👍 but it needs a bit more than that, though. I’ve felt that under Moyes there has been a good team spirit – but I ain’t seen any evidence of it yet this season, and that’s a huge worry.
The rot started in January. A place in the top six and, possibly, top four was up for grabs. All was needed was one or two new players including a striker. Everyone knew this. However on the frankly laughable excuse that no player was available that would improve the squad, nothing was done. It has really been downhill more or less all the way since then. The tired starting line up from 2021/22 has started again in 2022/23. Without a place in either of the two top European cups WHU is not attractive to the better players whilst those players that have arrived (some belatedly) are, it seems, not good enough or fit enough to start. Moyes is already criticising one of them. So much for only buying players better than what we already have. It has the look of a shambles. Moyes needs a fresh approach if WHU are not to continue to remain at the bottom.
Aye, that’s all true 👍. Can’t find anything to take issue with in your comments Freddie.
Get rid of moyes lol. What happened to the moyes magic brigade then ? Been saying his way to poor for a coach at our club for ages and looking at a despondent rice against a great Brighton team with Potter tells it all. Get rid of moyes now and put Warburton in charge while we get in a top coach that’s a modern younger one. Was prepared for giving moyes this season but fear he is way out of touch, so nows as good as any time to get the board after putting up cash for dithering dave to give him the tin tack and start getting in the coach to take us to winning things.
The Europa League run glossed over a few things, but as Hugh says it was apparent in the latter half of last season that things were on a downwards slide. David Moyes looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights whenever he is interviewed, not like a modern manager.
Aye, that’s my increasing impression too, Trueiron. Very worrying.
A bit early to press the panic button as there are no apparent attractive alternatives for manager. Arsenal lost their first 4 games last season but kept their nerve and finished 5th.
We have bought several new players and had bad luck with injuries and fitness problems in defence. I am concerned that Declan and Jarrod are looking so poor as the have been the engine house of the team. I do believe however great players do not become bad suddenly. Moyes has to fnd out why this is happening and use all his experience to sort it out. Resorting to Dyche and/or Benitez would secure relegation. Will want Allerdyce next!!
Aye, I’m with you on that lot Budgie. Good points, well made👍
Moyes has to go I can’t stand GSB but even I can’t fault their backing for the manager this window he’s signed a goalkeeper we already had, 2 centre halves a midfielder who ain’t ready and a striker and winger who can’t get past Antonio and Benrahma ! he is past his sell by date we needed fresh faces in January which would of helped us but he couldn’t find anyone that would improve us if that’s the case he needed sacking there and then . Any manager that can continue with Antonio up front week after week who without doubt is the most technically inept player in the premier league and also play Soucek week in week out when every fan can see he’s had it needs sacking, he only knows one system and can’t make a signing til he’s checked out the players family tree after 3 months of interest also wasted time chasing lingard and kostic when everyone could see they were never going to sign . We should bust the bank to get the manager who gave us a lesson today Graham Potter
Moyes was a spent force as soon as Antonio’s form dived at the back end of 2021.
No Plan B, stubborn team selections, only Rice saved us from the biggest cup upset in FA Cup history.
If the board are not already talking to the likes of Poch and Zidane then they are not doing their jobs properly and are neglecting their investment.
Its not a question of if it’s when, the sooner the better to limit the damage.