David Moyes gave his virtual pre-match press conference yesterday lunchtime and this what he had to say.
An exciting signing with Said Benrahma joining the club, what was it about him that made you want to make that move permanent?
Our plan was to make it permanent in the summer but there was a mild medical problem so we had to hold it back and wait till the time was right, so obviously, we had time to do it but it was always going to get done.
It was never in doubt that we were going to do it we just had to make sure the small medical issue was cleared up and we could move on from there.
Initially, I always liked his goals and assists, he has had a couple of assists and we are still waiting on the goals but we have found at the moment he has become a really hardworking team player for us which we really like and because he is young to the premier league there is a lot more to come from him.
We always said we didn’t want to rush him and there will be games we need to be patient with him and hopefully we end up turning said into a really top Premier League player.
What’s the latest with Jesse Lingard?
Well, he’s here doing a medical at the moment but it’s not completed just yet. So I can’t really say too much more about it but the fact is, he is here and he is doing a medical so hopefully, we might have something on that later on today.
With Jesse coming in does that impact your need for a striker?
If the Jessie deal goes through then Jesse will give us more options, more attacking options as far as he can play in probably nearly all the positions along the front line, he can play as a midfield player as well.
We’ve seen Yarmolenko come in and do okay for us at centre-forward. I don’t want to be in a position where I go and bring somebody just for the sake of it. And I’ve always said that if I can look within my own group to find solutions I’ll try and do so.
But we can’t deny we would have liked another striker, and we have tried to submit an offer for one or two players who we’d have liked to have got but for different reasons they’ve not been gettable.
So you are not expecting any more incomings or outgoings before the deadline?
At the moment not, no. All we are doing is focusing on the game on Sunday and trying to look at a way to try and get a result in that game.
Is this the perfect time to be playing the reigning Champions, being fifth in the league there must be a really good vibe in the club at the moment?
We are really pleased with the way the players are playing and the results we have had and we want to keep that going as long as we can. We have got an incredibly difficult challenge against Liverpool, the reigning Champions and they showed everybody they found a real bit of form so we were never in doubt of how tough the game was going to be.
It will test us but we want to be tested by the better teams, we want to try and challenge them and this will give us a real opportunity to see what we can do.
What did you make of Liverpool against Spurs last night?
I thought they were very good, I don’t know if their form ever went away. I just think that sometimes things don’t quite happen for you, but everybody is well aware of what Liverpool can do and how they can play and they certainly proved that over recent seasons.
What did you learn from the game at Anfield in October and do you feel like you are a stronger side coming into this Sunday?
What I learned from that game is we gave away a very soft penalty kick, which was really debatable, but overall we competed really well.
The games we have played Liverpool we have had a good run for our money, the game at Anfield we came close, we made a couple of mistakes which cost us the game but that’s what Liverpool do they are relentless they make chances.
They have players who are capable of scoring out of very little so we know we are going to have to play exceptionally well, but if we keep playing as we have been and we keep up the form we are in and we keep playing with the confidence we have got then we will give ourselves an outside chance
How important is the extra couple of days rest and training you have had?
Well, I hope it is, in this period we are playing so many games that to have a couple of days extra rest is a good thing. I think Crystal Palace had about nine days off when we went to play them after only two or three days and we went and got a result so the thing about it is there is no right or wrong way about football you just never know how it is going to be.
I think all the managers will agree that we are all finding it really tough because of the amount of games we have got and the way the schedule is.
Tomas Soucek has seemed like he hasn’t needed any time to adapt and he s now your top-scorer:
When you bring players in we are always mindful, especially when he is coming from the Czech Republic, you are always thinking it isn’t the same level or the players aren’t at the same level but Tomas has played for his club in the Champions League and he plays for the Czech Republic.
He was captain of Slavia so he was someone who is mature even though he is a young player, so for him to come and hit the ground running was great but in many ways, he had a lot of the credentials that allowed him to do that.
His goalscoring, his attitude and the way he has been around the club has been great and I hope we can get more out of him that’s for sure.
Would a win on Sunday make you start to believe the top four is a possibility?
Well, I saw two teams last night who are really good sides and I think we have a bit to do to get close to those teams so with my football head on I don’t think we are at that level. Considering the position we have been in I think we are doing really really well.
Am I going to try? Of course, I am going to try and every result we get and every good result we get makes you start to think about getting better.
But we have to be realistic and I watched two really good teams last night in Liverpool and Tottenham and we have a bit to go before we get close to them.
Have Liverpool got over their blip or has this season demonstrated that any result is possible?
I think the Premier League has tightened up with the levels, but I think there are two or three or four clubs at the top who on their day will beat most teams. After that going down the table I think it is all the others [togehter].
Even going down to the bottom of the league they can all get a result, we only need to see Sheffield United’s performance against Manchester United the other day to show you what a topsy turvy Premier League season we have got.
Here at West Ham if we can make the most of it and keep ourselves up near the top then that would be great.
How much are you enjoying working with the players considering the performances they are putting in at the moment?
They have got a great spirit around them, and that comes from winning as well. Quite often you are looking around how to build a good team spirit and I have always felt that more often than not it comes from winning games that gives you the best team spirit.
We are actually in a period now where it is not as if we can do an awful lot of things together, we can’t go out for dinner together, etc.
So the best team spirit we can get is through the training ground and around the training ground and there is a great atmosphere here and the players are doing a really good job and we appreciate all the hard work and they’re working hard for the team.