Missed opportunity
With Chelsea, Everton and Tottenham all dropping factors earlier than West Ham kicked off this was very a lot a case of “what if”.
Mainly a query of “what if West Ham had really set out to assault and take the sport to the opposition as they did in opposition to Manchester City?”
That recreation was additionally a loss by one objective, nevertheless it was one by which all of the gamers and supervisor had been pissed off with due to the standard of their efficiency.
Yesterday’s frustrations will lie extra within the “why did not we go for it” camp.
“We knew it was an enormous opportunity for us,” stated Moyes. “I’m dissatisfied we didn’t take one thing from the sport. We did a bit higher within the final 20 minutes and had intervals within the first half the place we did okay however there was nothing as good as what we now have carried out over current weeks and months.”
There are 10 video games remaining and Moyes should now set his group up with extra journey to ensure that the season doesn’t end with any extra “what if’s” hanging over his head.
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Body language
Declan Rice had a wonderful recreation, to each the bare eye and with the statistics to again it up.
According to wyscout his passing accuracy was touching 90%, he gained essentially the most tackles and made essentially the most blocks of any participant on the pitch.
There was one Manchester United counter-attack within the second half the place Rice gained the primary deal with just for the ball to make its manner throughout the pitch to one other house participant, Rice got here haring throughout and put in a crunching deal with. He is an outstanding soccer participant, however there was one facet of his recreation that was worrying to see yesterday.
As the sport entered the ultimate 10 minutes and with West Ham chasing an equaliser Rice was clearly a particularly pissed off determine.
On multiple event he was berating his teammates. And in an empty stadium the few of us fortunate sufficient to be there can get a transparent thought of who the leaders are and what they’re saying.
Declan Rice of West Ham United battles for possession with Fred of Manchester United through the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham (Photo by Dave Thompson – Pool/Getty Images)
In earlier weeks Rice has been encouraging his teammates; yesterday he was audibly and visibly aggravated with them “losing probabilities” as he put it.
His physique language was poor, slumped shoulders, shouting in frustration along with his beforehand encouraging persona nowhere to be seen. In its absence Craig Dawson stepped up as the person to encourage his group, whereas Rice grew to become extra insulated and typically aggravated with everybody round him, together with the referee who was noticeable for the dearth of controversy.
With a participant of Rice’s high quality you do marvel if he forgets that not everybody round him is as good as him and what may appear a easy move to him shouldn’t be all the time the case for everybody else.
One dangerous recreation for the group doesn’t imply he will probably be gunning to depart. But as Moyes has stated prior to now, if he desires to hold Rice he has to present the England worldwide that “his ambitions could be achieved right here at West Ham and I’ll have to hold pushing that and hold pushing that with the homeowners as properly.”
A recreation like yesterday’s is properly beneath Rice’s ambitions as his physique language made very clear.
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Lingard integral already
It is unusual to say this of a participant who has solely been concerned in six matches for the membership, however Jesse Lingard is already important to West Ham.
Without his drive and willingness to take the ball and run at opponents, the Hammers appeared toothless in assault.
Jarrod Bowen was predominately the person checked out as Lingard’s alternative yesterday however he places nowhere close to the identical concern into defenders when he runs at them. Michail Antonio squared Victor Lindelof up as soon as within the first-half and ran at him, you may not assist however assume if Lingard was haring up alongside him the assault may need acquired someplace. As it was, Antonio was remoted, ran in-field and the transfer got here to nothing.
Bowen is an efficient participant, only one in a poor run of type at the moment and with Lingard as soon as once more accessible to take on Arsenal he’ll presumably come straight again into exchange the 24-year-old.
It shouldn’t be rocket science to recommend West Ham are a greater group with Lingard in it, however they clearly are. Two journeys to Old Trafford with out him and on each events the assault appeared impotent. Hopefully, Lingard will probably be again at Old Trafford subsequent season, and this time lining up to face his former membership quite than on the sidelines watching on.
Team choice
As already talked about the group missed Lingard, however additionally they missed the injured Pablo Fornals and dropped Said Benrahma.
Jesse Lingard, Pablo Fornals, Said Benrahma out.
Ben Johnson, Mark Noble, Jarrod Bowen in.
Mark Noble leads his group on to the pitch prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham United (Photo by Peter Powell – Pool/Getty Images)
Whilst a defensive strategy in opposition to Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes is considerably comprehensible this was an excessive amount of. At least considered one of Benrahma or Lanzini ought to have began. It was all too straightforward for the Manchester United defence and by the tip of the first-half it solely appeared a matter of time till they opened the scoring.
In the primary interval Rashford had missed an excellent opportunity and Lukasz Fabianski had made an exquisite save from Greenwood.
Moyes may see his strategy was not working and his half-time modifications acknowledged this. Johnson was moved from left wing-back to proper and Bowen from striker to proper midfield to strive and change the course of the sport.
As it was it took a Dawson personal objective to open the scoring and solely then did Moyes look to his substitutes and flip to the extra inventive forces of Benrahma and Lanzini.
For the ultimate half an hour, the 2 offered extra attacking impetus than the remainder of the group had carried out within the opening hour.
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Yes, this left West Ham extra susceptible to counter-attacks from Manchester United so to recommend each ought to have began and West Ham ‘gone for it’ may be unrealistic, however a compromise of 1 beginning with the opposite in reserve may need been the reply.
That manner Moyes would have had the pliability to go extra attacking if his aspect had been chasing a objective or to take away whichever he had began and gone into the defensive mode if his aspect had been holding onto a lead or within the latter levels settling for some extent.
This strategy could not have labored, after all, and it’s far simpler to say in hindsight and from the stands than it’s within the dugout but when Moyes opts for a unique group and strategy in opposition to Arsenal subsequent weekend we would have an inkling that he agrees he acquired it unsuitable yesterday.
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Proof of progress
In a wierd manner, this recreation reveals how properly West Ham have carried out this season. Man for man, Manchester United have a much better squad and the sources Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has at his disposal dwarf what is offered to Moyes, but going into the sport West Ham had the possibility to slender the hole between the 2 sides to simply three factors.
There is not any manner West Ham needs to be this shut to Manchester United at this stage of the season. Despite the poor efficiency, the unsuitable group choice, and lack of attacking intent, the frustration felt with the end result is definitely a reminder of how excessive Moyes has set expectations. This is fairly exceptional when you think about the place the group was simply 12 months in the past.
Moyes is a confirmed supervisor and deserves belief going ahead, there are 10 video games left this season and the good cash will probably be on him to finish the Hammers season on a excessive.
