Gary Neville couldn’t understand West Ham United boss David Moyes’s decision to set his side up so defensively last night, as per his comments on the Gary Neville podcast.
West Ham went down 1-0 to Manchester United, and they rarely threatened during the contest.
The Hammers appeared to play for a point, rather than really going for the win.
And Neville felt that West Ham’s outlook on the fixture was disappointing, given the form they have been in.
“West Ham disappointed me,” he said. “There was a bit of a debate at half-time, and I found myself checking myself, thinking ‘am I being too harsh on them, because they’re coming to Manchester United and West Ham don’t have a great record here’.
“But then I’ve watched West Ham many times this season and they’re in such a great position and so many times West Ham over the last few years you can understand them being nervous, anxious and in fear coming here. But why today?
“When you pick that team that you do with five at the back and Noble in midfield, you’re telling your players that you don’t really believe you can go there and take them on.
“But I think you can take this Manchester United team on.
“Maybe having the five at the back, maybe having the two in midfield, but maybe having Lanzini or Benrahma instead of Noble would just have been the right balance and enabled them to get something in the first half, but Manchester United’s centre-backs had 45 minutes to an hour off.”
Moyes actually said after the contest that he still would not have changed his strategy in hindsight.
However, many West Ham fans also felt that they missed an opportunity by not going for the three points.
Manchester United have shown some weaknesses at the back this term, and if the likes of Michail Antonio had better service, they could have posed a threat.
Instead, West Ham’s defeat means that they remain outside the top four, as they chase a coveted Champions League qualification spot.
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