Has Moyes got his West Ham tactics wrong already?

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David Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic as West Ham manager on Tuesday.

David Moyes has been praised for his approach in the press after taking over at West Ham United following Slaven Bilic’s sacking on Monday.

Many have been impressed with what he has said, stating that the club should not be in the position they are in with the squad the Hammers boast and is keen to get points on the board by starting conservatively.

West Ham face Watford at Vicarage Road in Moyes’ first game in charge after the international break on November 19, before facing Leicester City and Everton.

The Hammers then face a difficult run of games against some of the Premier League’s finest, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal making up his first six games as manager of the east Londoners.

The former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland boss is quoted by BBC Sport as saying that he wants to start defensively and gain some clean sheets before he turns on the style at the London Stadium.

“I want the football to be entertaining. But I want to start defensively. We have to start there and get some clean sheets,” Moyes said. “First it’s about winning football games, then it’s about the style.”

But is Moyes tactically wrong to do that, when looking at the Hammers’ fixture list?

Now in a relegation scrap, after falling into the drop zone following Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Liverpool, West Ham desperately need to start winning games and shutting up shop in winnable matches against Watford, Everton and Leicester would be a waste of possible wins.

Moyes must look to gain maximum points from his first three outings as manager, and then look to play conservatively when facing the Premier League big guns in City, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Giving freedom to the attackers in his first three matches and getting points on the board by outscoring their opponents would give the Hammers momentum going into the tougher fixtures, where he must shut up shop.

The Scottish boss must focus on attacking Watford, as well as Everton and Leicester, if he is to have any chance of getting the points on the board during his first six matches as West Ham manager.