The new manager hunt (was the Moyes thread) only 3 days to wait...

Vorselaarhammer

Barracks I was responding to you point on the Dave's having limited scouting etc as a reason why they pick Moyes.

I think all clubs look for a known quantity for firefighting.

The reason BFS is getting 6m from Everton. The red adair of relegation....

secrethammersfan

I honestly think that players don’t think they have to try when they come to West Ham. Do a bit of a jog, pass the ball in the general direction, it’ll be alright. We seem to have hit a critical mass of players who couldn’t be bothered. I have no idea what will rise them out of their apathy. Possibly lock them in a room with a bottle of whiskey and boxing gloves for a week. They need to Ctrl-Alt-Del themselves.

Edit: This is OT until I add this: Moyes needs to sort this out.

thornburyiron

Passing the ball in the general direction would be an improvement.

NEoldiron

Thorn, I'm reminded of the final scenes of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" every time I hear/read "in the general direction" ;biggrin

sweepy23

Anyone know what deal Moyes is on? I know it’s a 6 month deal with two more years as an option but how much is he getting paid?

A mate who has friends at the club claims he’s not taking a wage and will be paid a big lump if we stay in the league. Anyone else heard this?

imagelost

We don’t need to go down

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

10k a week is what has been "rumoured", with a hefty bonus if we stay up

imagelost

;hmm
Well done Dave Moyes sofar
I am getting turned
;bubbles

grey_til_I_dye

image

Fixed it for ya! ;ok

No space between ; and the keyword!

imagelost

Cheers grey til ;wink

Lukerz

After seeing what I saw at Everton, what we have produced in the last two games is something of a miracle and testament to Moyes and the staff. Hopefully more of the same for the rest of the month. ;ok

imagelost

Happy new year adam ;biggrin

claretandbluesky

I am quietly optimistic if truth be told but not convinced, Leicester was a game in which we played well in one half and poorly in one half, Everton was the worst we have played all year, City we defended well to keep it reasonable and nearly nicked something, Chelsea was a fantastic performance. So for me I am getting more optimistic but know we could just as easily lose by three at Arsenal and not perform at Stoke. We need take at least a point from both these games and hopefully three from Stoke, if we can do that then I reckon we can start to feel we can improve our position.

DM is getting his chance, no one wanted him but he came and he is getting his chance, he is a man of character and so the challenge should spur him on as he must have been wounded by where his career had gone, let's hope that works in our favour. If it does we could be perfect for each other at this moment.

Lukerz

What I’ve found particularly interesting already is how Moyes has added value to the side and how it’s evolved over his first five games. What has he done which we can confidently say is different to what Bilic would’ve done?

His team selection for Watford was:

Hart
Zabaleta - Reid - Ogbonna - Cresswell
Noble - Obiang - Kouyate
Arnautovic - Carroll - Lanzini

A very ‘Moyes’ XI on paper. Square pegs in square holes, a target man, three grafters in midfield, experience, 4-3-3/4-5-1 system etc.

Since then we’ve seen two major tweaks which I feel confident we wouldn’t have seen under Bilic. The first is the introduction of Masuaku as a winger (started 4 out of his 5 matches) and, despite IMO being a bit erratic, he’s clearly favoured by Moyes as he has stuck with him for all the games since Watford. Bilic played him occasionally, mainly as a LB or LWB, with the odd cameo further forward. Moyes has converted him to a wide midfielder. His directness and pace are big assets for us, given we lack both, and certainly have given us an outlet in recent weeks.

Secondly, the major tweak has been this recent switch of Cresswell, from a LB to a LCB in the back 3. Another tactical switch I don’t feel Bilic would’ve incorporated. What it has allowed is Reid to move across from CB position No.2 to No.1 (right sided) and Ogbonna (the main change) to move to be the central CB of the three (as opposed to the LCB). Whilst it might be a slightly irrelevant change to many (does it make that much difference), it actually has made Ogbonna look a lot better because it’s covered his major flaw; decision making when getting drawn out to a wide area. That little corridor between Cresswell at LB and Ogbonna at LCB in a back four has caused many issues which have often resulted in Ogbonna giving away penalties. He is now shielded by two other players, with the added security of the wingbacks. So this little tweak which has shifted Ogbonna along one place and converted Cresswell to a LCB has made us look very solid against two exceptional attacking lines.

The final obvious bit of added value has been Arnie, who I think we can all agree has had his best spell of performances since Moyes has taken over. Even his display at Watford was a marked improvement on what we saw under Bilic.

There is also the inclusion of Adrian, something which may not have happened under the previous regime, but has certainly coincided with an upturn in defensive performances too.

So the side has evolved since his first selection to:

Adrian
Reid - Ogbonna - Cresswell
Zabaleta - Noble - Obiang - Masuaku
Arnautovic - Lanzini
Antonio

The move of Cresswell to CB has been an inspired call. He’s not the first full-back to successfully convert to a CB in recent times in sides which play a back three/five. Azpilicueta of Chelsea, Monreal of Arsenal, Davies at Spurs. I think it gives the back three that added dimension when you can have a more aggressive and technically assured player playing as one of the three, otherwise you get into the trap of putting in three solid CB’s and you end up with loads of sideways passing and backpasses. That little Ogbonna/Cresswell-Noble/Obiang-Lanzini/Arnie group is linking a host of very competent ball players together to get us moving through the side, particularly in that central/left area of the pitch.

Then there’s the obvious improvement in our running stats and sprints, suggesting the fitness and intensity is coming along nicely now.

Really good things seen from the last couple of games in particular. It shows the manager can identify weaknesses and address them very quickly with different innovations but without adding any new players to the squad. Moyes can be proud of what he’s done already and lets hope it continues until May.

And just to add, I may have been a bit too hasty in jumping the gun with relegation. The Everton result and display really did hit me quite hard. But I think there have been positives in all four of his other games, and certainly more signs for optimism than there were a few weeks ago.

Cuz1

Lukerz excellent breakdown there agree with all of that post

imagelost

Lukerz ;cheers
The training, planing and tactics under the last regime was virtually nonexistent then.
Another well done to DM
Doctor Moyes ;ok

thornburyiron

Image that's exactly what a lot of us believed. Our training, fitness and tactical planning were very poor.
The warning signs were there even before Staam said that Oxford was shocked at the intensity of Readings training.

NEoldiron

Luke, very good analysis of the transformation under DM ;clap

thornburyiron

West Ham manager David Moyes has told Joe Hart that the club's Premier League survival is more important than the 30-year-old goalkeeper's international ambitions. (Daily Mirror)

That must have been an interesting conversation along the lines of "I can't play you and risk getting relegated so I'll play Adrian and we'll have a better chance of survival. In any case I'm Scottish and don't give a monkeys who plays for England"

imagelost

Come the new year
Will we be singing ;quaver ;quaver
There’s only one doctor Moyes



I am every lunchtime folks for 5 minuets only
;yercoat

baracks_a_hammer

For me (another who by admission was not keen on Moyes), the difference is very simple. I now look forward to the next fixture thinking “we should be looking to get something from this game”. I was thinking this against Chelsea and ahead of the arsenal game too.

In stark contrast, under our previous manager, in the run up to games against the likes of Brighton, my main thought was “how many will we lose by”

claretandbluesky

I agree, it's the biggest thing as a fan to watch knowing you can get something, I do think it's too soon to judge but I know that playing Arsenal on Wednesday I hope to get something, even if only a point, compare this to how we all approached Man City, which was the turning point ( we will give him the two previous games as a settling in period).

The other thing was that against Chelsea I didn't really expect to concede in the last five minutes where as whenever we were in that position previously I was kind of just waiting for the comedy moment where we lost it.

As I have said earlier it's too early to believe we are a different side, but there is certainly enough evidence to hope.

chicagohammer

Being realistic a moment, when playing the likes of Man C, Man U, Arsenal or Chelsea, all
i really want to feel is that we competed for the full 90 minutes and left the opposition feeling that they have been in a game and that they had to work for the points.

The actual result is less important than the achievement of the above.

However, having achieved the above for our last two outings, I am actually looking forward to this one as I really do feel that we could get something tangible out of it.

Arsenal’s defense looked terrible against Southampton at the weekend, given their forward play, it is hard to see us keeping a clean sheet on Wednesday but I think that we can certainly match them.

I am going for 2-2, an exciting game where we are under pressure but dangerous on the counter.

COYI we can do this ;scarvwal

chicagohammer

Oh and back to the thread, I think that Moyes has shown that there is enough about him to steady the ship and keep us up, and for that I will thank him, however, I still do not think he has it in him to take us much further.

Just my tuppence worth

Deanscaleshammer

I'd take his record at Everton for the foreseeable future.

grey_til_I_dye

Deanscale

;ok

I think his record at Everton is the most we (or any club not taken over by billionaires with a desperate need to spend their hard-earned) can realistically expect.

Vorselaarhammer

Another confirmation on how poor the fitness levels were under Bilic. The only "excuse" I can think of for Bilic is that in the continental let the ball do the work style fitness isn't the same...

But he was in PL so even that doesn't really hold water, it's very odd you would think making a player fit is the first and probably easiest part of Mng...

-----
Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Curbishley said: “Against Man City and Chelsea, they had a plan.

“David took my old fitness coach, Nick Davies, in there and I understand the fitness levels, the stats, were pretty poor.

“I know lots of managers talk about that when they go into a club and say let’s improve the fitness levels, but I think it was something West Ham needed to do. The proof is on the pitch.”

imagelost

Another big effort by Dave Moyes
;cheers

claretandbluesky

DM is stepping up at present, a clear improvement in results, desire and performances. Too early to say job done as a big task ahead and lose to Newcastle and we will have just used the breathing space created by Saturday's fantastic result, but very impressed and appropriately quietened .

I have also heard it mentioned that he and his team are working for pretty much expenses but on very good bonus incentives, if so all credit to them for backing up their belief in themselves. It did say however they have submitted hand written receipts for flying from Scotland to training in a lear jet each day and having lunch delivered by Harrods but fair play anyhow.

A signal of how much things have changed I realised I believe we can beat Arsenal on Tuesday and that thought wouldn't have been there a month ago, we may need them rest a few and we may need go for it ourselves but we can do it.

secrethammersfan

I know it’s far too early yet, but I read a headline somewhere saying “David Moyes has finally found his kind of club”. I don't think it's time just yet to talk about who our manager is next year, but surely the ghost of a permanent appointment is slowly materialising in our collective conscious. What if West Ham is Moyes' "next Everton"?