West Ham’s display against Manchester City was the perfect example of Moyesball, and I have to say, I’m happy to see the back of it.
Don’t get me wrong; I am extremely grateful for the trophy success that David Moyes has brought to West Ham United. However, don’t be under any illusions that the tactics we witnessed today against Manchester City are exclusive to just the top teams.
The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Bristol City, or Sheffield United; these tactics are far too commonplace for my liking. Rodri’s goal for Manchester City perfectly highlighted what has gone wrong with David Moyes’ tactics. There weren’t two banks of four but rather a single line of defenders who had retreated so far back into their own box that it allowed midfielders to take long shots at West Ham’s goal without interference.
In essence David Moyes tactics have become a caricature, a sort of self-parody whereby the defensive line is so negative it’s ceases to function as a means of protecting the keeper.
Of course, Mohammed Kudus’s goal was wonderful, but we have come to rely on the extraordinary to give us a chance in games. The truth of the matter is that despite the score-line being 2-1 at the time, West Ham were never truly in this game. That is why it was so laughable that Arsenal fans held out any hope whatsoever of the Hammers getting anything from Pep Guardiola’s team.
Of course, there is no shame in losing to such a wonderful team as Manchester City, and if it was an isolated incident, it really wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, what we witnessed today is a very normal performance from the Hammers, and Manchester City could not have wished for a better opponent when they needed a guaranteed 3 points.
So it’s farewell to Moyesball, in many respects it was fitting West Ham finished the season playing the style of football which has become a hallmark of our recent failure.
Lets give the new manager a chance….hopefully he sets the team up to win rather than not to lose!
You sum it up in one. Well said.
Spot on Tommo
Lopetegui is a step up from David Moyes. Wolves were 8th in the premier League form table . After he took over there on boxing day last season 22/23 and were 2nd bottom on Christmas day . At WHUFC he will get a far more substantial budget as well . There’s a reason so many in the media are bitter .
Completely agree. We’re the only team in the Premier League which makes Burnley look like Man City. If you send a team out without any desire to keep the ball, then surprise, surprise, you put your defence and goalkeeper under so much pressure, that it’s inevitable the opposition will score.
And, you’re right, Moyes’s strategy is to treat every team like Man City.
If Lopetegui brings a simple switch from not wanting the ball to keeping it, that’s a good start. Moyes’s strategy depends on defensive resilience. Well here is a team that’s shipped the 6th most number of goals in the Premier League. Good riddance!
Let’s see how many premier league teams rush to appoint Moyes
Brighton..haha ha
Gonzo are you on drugs
Moyes will go down in history as one of the most successful managers ever in the history of West Ham United
European winners. 3 seasons in Europe also guided the team to 6-7and 9 places in premier league
Stay off the white powder you Micky mouse clown
Agreed. Less see lot of hot air been going on on all sides for this debate. Let’s see what Steidman and Loos do after 8-9 games we will know by then.
100%
Have you ever been to a game in person post 2021/22 season????
Moyes was a dreadful manager who destroyed the West Ham careers of Lanzini, Fornals, Anderson, Haller, Scammaca,& Benrahma – who all offered far more than the until very recently the un-droppable Soucek (no way is this guy even at League 1 level) or the anonymous Ward – Prowse who he bought for £30 mil which is about £22 mil over priced.
He has spunked a fortune on crap defenders, thought Kalvin Phillips was still a good footballer to spunk a further 5 to 7 mill on the worst loan move in history and left us with the smallest and second oldest squad in the prem with another 6 players out of contract.
The Europa Conference night was all about the incredible fans who deserve so much, much better than what we get from Sullivan and what we got from Moyes
Absolutely spot on
And 14th with 40 points last season. We got relegated years ago with 42 points.
Good point. Winning a trophy for West Ham is phenomenal. Hope the new coach will not make many regret.
Man City beat pretty much everyone whatever they do, it was a two goal margin against Spurs in their last game. Might it be something to do with they have fourteen players earning more than our top wage ? Roll on the outcome of their 115 charges, Everton and Forest overspent coppers in comparison.
Scott if anyone is on drugs it’s you and it’s not white powder it’s very strong LSD . If you have actually been to watch us you must have been hallucinating. There is so much more to this than the end of season league position. If he stayed next year we would certainly go down the squad is old tired and small. He has pulled the pin of the hand grenade thrown it behind him and walked away. It will be extremely difficult for anybody to turn this around. Hopefully TS can get some decent young signings in and hopefully JL will turn out to be a decent manager. But this team needs a complete rebuild, with the exception of Bowen, Kudus Alvarez, Emerson and Areola the rest have been tosh, especially Moyes favourites JWP and Souchek
Wouldn’t it have been great if Moyes had sent out an attacking team for this fixture? Our position in the table was not in jeopardy so it was an opportunity to let the players go out and express themselves. Moyes was so fixed in his ways he had to play a back 5 … which had consistently been ineffective previously. I would have loved to see Earthy in the midfield with Alvarez and Antonio paired upfront with Ings (yes Ings!) in a 4-4-2 (without Soucek) .. Moyes would not even use 5 subs when we were 3-1 down. So goodbye Mr. Moyes with your obstinacy and your predictability. I am looking forward to being entertained for a change.
I think that we all need to give the new manager a chance
Moyes greatest achievement in my view was saving us from relegation twice
The challenge for an attacking manager is to keep producing while teams work out how to play against you (Slaven first season vs his last season and a half, de Zerbi – and has Unai Emery now been found out – Glasner is the new wonder manager but will he also be found out?)
So lets see what happens next season
Yup! Goodbye moyesball hello ticky tacky and hopefully not too tacky?
The only negative for our new head coach over Moyes is that Lopeteguiball is a lot harder to say! 🤣