Some West Ham United players now feel David Moyes holds them back having grown tired of his cautious tactics. But the Irons hierarchy still have no plans to sack their manager yet.
That is according to The Guardian, which reports Moyes faces growing discontent amongst his squad amid the club’s relegation fight. The 59-year-old is starting to lose the support of the dressing room as the Hammers first-team are losing more and more faith in his system.
Moyes frustrated some West Ham players when he named a defensive side for their trip to Tottenham Hotspur last month. They felt the 5-3-2 formation he adopted in the 2-0 defeat left them with little chance of securing a win. WhoScored recorded just one shot on target.
West Ham responded to losing in north London by thrashing Nottingham Forest 4-0 with a more attack-minded line-up. The result raised spirits in the London Stadium dressing room but did not lead to a sustained run of results. Brighton & Hove Albion won 4-0 on Saturday.
Now, the Irons sit 16th in the Premier League table through 25 matches. But they are only a point clear of the relegation zone. While Everton in 18th place have played 26 fixtures this season, Southampton and AFC Bournemouth are only two points behind on even matches.
West Ham have no plans to sack Moyes yet despite their players’ frustrations
Despite the irritations of West Ham’s defeat at Brighton, and players losing faith in Moyes, the Irons still have no plans to sack the Scot. Their result did raise some alarm, though. Yet the Hammers are determined to give the Glasgow native time to turn their season around.
Moyes – who Pep Guardiola calls a ‘fantastic manager’ – will hope to improve the mood at West Ham on Thursday. The Irons visit AEK Larnaca in the last 16 of the Europa Conference League. Aston Villa – who West Ham beat 1-0 in August – visit in the top-flight this Sunday.
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