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Never come back, so they say. That apparently doesn’t apply to David Moyes.
On the first day of 2021, a year after his second spell in charge of West Ham, he returned to Everton and won his first win against his old team since leaving Goodison Park in 2013. After four previous losses at their old home turf, the Hammers gave their manager a belated Christmas present and plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the new year.
There was certainly a more positive sentiment at London Stadium in the opening weeks of the season, with the Hammers flirting with the Champions League venues ahead of a recession in December that saw Moyes’s men win just a game out of six. . Moyes’s mood before the trip to Goodison Park reflected his team’s recent form, and the coach was aware that his team was against it on Merseyside.
West Ham were participating in their third game in six days, while Everton was coming off a seven-day break as a result of postponement of the clash with Manchester City. Moyes insisted that he would not use it as an excuse, but he was very happy that anyone who listened to his pointy pre-match interview was in possession of the facts.
As it was, there was no need to worry. If anything, West Ham seemed like the faster side at Goodison Park, while Everton seemed as slow as the rest of us on any given New Year’s Day.
It certainly wouldn’t be fair to describe this win as a crush and a grab. Goal scoring opportunities were slim during a difficult game to enjoy, but West Ham managed more shots and more shots on goal than their hosts.
Everton were limited to just two attempts on the arc by Darren Randolph, with the Hammers’ late replacement at the net to get their gloves dirty at times on either side of the break. Both were routine saves, and Randolph’s biggest drawback was his own goal kicks.
Randolph, called into action when Lukasz Fabianski was injured in the warm-up, was incredibly well protected by the Hammers defense, who in turn enjoyed the benefits of one of the most effective screening duos in the Premier League.
Everton simply couldn’t find a way to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whether they were taking the air route or looking for a penetrating pass. Angelo Ogbonna was as solid as a rock as he has been for much of the season, while Craig Dawson, in his second start, posted his second clean sheet. Either side of that pair was formed this week, Aaron Cresswell continued his stellar season by attempting more shots than anyone on the court, while Vladimir Coufal pocketed Richarlison, which cost 10 times what the Hammers paid for the right back. Czech.
#WHUFC Premier League form after closing:
26 played, 10 won, 8 draws, 8 lost – 38 points
Transfers: Soucek, Coufal, Bowen, Benrahma and Dawson, two from the Czech Republic and three from the Championship.
Sagacious business, excellent signings and hard work in training with Moyes 👏
– Toby Cudworth (@Toby_Cudworth) January 1, 2021
As accomplished as Coufal was, he was not West Ham’s best Czech player. Soucek scored the winner with four minutes of normal time remaining, but his overall performance reinforced his claim to be one of the 2020 signings. While Rice has anchored Moyes’ midfield exceptionally well this season, Soucek has been a throwback to the area. boxers of yesteryear. Moyes’ only concern must be the profit Davids Gold and Sullivan are sniffing out on the £ 19 million investment they made in July.
West Ham’s draft this year, normally so misguided, is another feather in the Moyes limit. The arrival of the coach coincided with the departure of Mario Husillos and, since then, the Hammers have barely been wrong in the transfer market. As much as Gold and Sullivan take credit, we must assume that Moyes is running his business.
This resolute clinical demonstration also emphasizes the coach’s claim of a change in mindset since returning to London Stadium. Irons are no longer a soft touch. Having made this side tough to beat, mentally and physically, Moyes’ next job is to find a better balance in attack.
The return of Michail Antonio will certainly help that. Sebastien Haller is a poor imitation of the 30-year-old (the Ivory Coast star seems to lack the basic instincts required for a Premier League center-forward), but Antonio’s injury issues remain a concern.
A break in the schedule will help remedy your latest hamstring problem. After three Premier League games in six days, there are now 15 days to go until the next one, at which point the Hammers may have found attacking reinforcements in the same dark corners of the transfer market where they encountered players like Soucek and Coufal.
When they return to action, the Hammers face a crucial period. Five of your next seven opponents are the last six inhabitants. West Ham may be 10th, but they have the same number of points as the five teams above them, up to Chelsea in fifth.
Moyes has talked about building in layers: either you seek to minimize expectations or you feel that you are currently exceeding expectations. But in a year, the coach has West Ham playing in his image and there is little reason the Hammers cannot maintain their premature momentum for a European spot.
Ian Watson
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