The joy on David Moyes face was clear to see yesterday as his much maligned West Ham side took all 3 points against Premier League Champions, Chelsea.
Moyes has had very little to smile about in his first month as the Hammers manager. Defeat in his opening fixture at Watford was followed by a hard won point against Leicester before a 4 goal reverse at fellow strugglers Everton highlighted the challenge in front of the Scotsman, if he was in any doubt prior.
If the very late defeat at Manchester City hinted at the impact that Moyes was beginning to have behind the scenes, few would have seen a win coming against Antonio Conte’s expensively assembled team. But win they did, on the back of some real team work, desire and an investment of physical effort that suggests Moyes work on the training pitch is beginning to pay dividends.
The former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager told the club’s official site, WHUFC.com:
“I’ve got to say the players have been good, their attitude has been excellent. They’ve worked hard the last couple of days and we will keep them working hard. I think it’s a really strong squad of players here. There’s a group of players here that, certainly for me, shouldn’t be in the position they are in – that’s for sure.”
It has been suggested that Slaven Bilic didn’t work his team hard enough and that they weren’t as physically fit as their opponents, perhaps evidenced in their bottom three position when the Croatian departed. But it is clear that Moyes is addressing that situation and getting his players to put in the required hard miles in training, which bodes well for the club’s Premier League survival chances.
Next up for Moyes and his team is the visit of Arsenal in the Carabao Cup Quarter Final on December 13th. What a fillip it would be for the home fans if their club could get to Wembley in Moyes first season in charge. We like his chances at FantasySports.co.uk, and wish West Ham fans well for what should be a smoother second half to their season.