David Moyes is an experienced Premier League football manager, however his lengthy 'sabatical' from the game has ensured that he has become locked in a time capsule with regards to tactics and recruitment. Hammers rolling over for Manchester City might have been part of Moyes' master plan, the problem is that no one knows waht that plan is! The players clearly don't, the massively expensive bench for the Citeh game must have looked at each other and thought what the hell are we doing? They wil also have been thinking what on earth is their 'manager' up to?
Moyes' tone has changed somewhat following the chastening defeat by City, his I'm here to win games statement and his quite frankly ridiculous comments about selling Declan Rice have done little to ingratiate the ex-Everton and Manchester United boss to either fans or indeed the club's owners. Having 'splashed the cash' on several high profile players, including the £24 Million they paid for Jarred Bowen on transfer deadline day, the Hammers hierarchy were clearly aghast at Moyes' decision to bench, and even entirely exclude the new recruits from the team sent out at the Etihad.
If Moyes was trying to make a point to the players concerned, he will have realised by now that it back fired spectacularly, all onlookers could see was a team bereft of ideas shooting themselves in the foot. The introduction of new signing Jarred Bowen was timed appallingly, allowing the player just enough time on the pitch to not make a difference, but just enough tiime for him to get infected by the 'Hammer's malaise' virus that saps players confidence, well done Moyes, for 'protecting' the club's newest player! Word is that David Sullivan and David Gold 'requested' a special meeting with David Moyes following the Manchester debacle, the three David's apparently journeyed back to London in the narrow confines on an executive jet in which there was no room to hide. Animated discussions occured that do little to encourage the 'we're all singing from the same hymn sheet' image that is being projected to the media, a media that the club have, in their infinite wisdom, decided to threaten court action against anyone who deosn't agree with the way that the club is being run/ruined.
Fickle fans can also be surprisingly forgiving, if they see the seeds of growth, but if they see dispirited dross underperforming they will rightly be unsupportive, if Moyes adopts the same tactics and team selection against Liverpool on Monday night as he did against Manchester City, then the club's goal difference will take a 'hammering', and unfortunately goal difference might be the key to survival.
If Moyes selects his best tam and they get battered, so be it, but at least fans will see a team trying to make amends for what has been a dreadful season, by putting a shift in, the players will instantly be on a better footing with supporters. After all, football is played on a pitch and not on paper, all the stats point towards a comprehensive Liverpool victory, but at least the Irons cantry and give the runaway league leaders a bloody nose! - Ed
