Paul Parker: No January business cost West Ham United
Paul Parker believes David Moyes’ failure to bring in a striker in January ultimately cost West Ham at the end of the season.
The Hammers were in the race for the top four and challenging for the Europa League, but ultimately finished 7th in the league and lost in the semi-finals of the cup competition.
According to talkSPORT pundit Parker, speaking to Danish outlet SpilXperten, the club failing to sign a striker was the reason for the failure but he did pick out Moyes as the best manager outside of the top clubs this year.
“There are quite a few (impressive managers) I can think of, for all different reasons, but I’m gonna go for David Moyes,” he said. “For what he has done for West Ham.
“What cost him in the end, you can talk about the squad depth. But it isn’t so much about the depth, it was the extra quality that the club couldn’t afford to give him.
“There was an opportunity in January for them to get a centre forward. He says he couldn’t find someone of the quality he was looking for to bring in. I would say that he wasn’t allowed to. Because they needed another centre forward regardless of quality.
“They needed something and he didn’t have it in the end. I think not having a centre forward cost him really, really badly in that sense. Just someone who could have gone and scored half a dozen goals. Just to hold the ball up, and allow them to get up as a back four or back five.
“I think he has done really well, with a small squad. But I think David Moyes loves a small squad, because it means that the players can get more rounds. It means he keeps the players he wants in the team and plays more regularly. Rather than having to service a lot of players.”
Undeniable
While the end of January saw many fans at odds about the decision not to bring in another body for the attacking department, it’s fair to say now the entire fan base is united that it was the wrong decision.
Moyes justified it by claiming he didn’t want to add someone for the sake of it, which is admirable, but ultimately it cost the club towards the end of the season.
Michail Antonio went months without a goal in any competition and while Jarred Bowen took on the load, it was too much to rely on one man and with no alternative it meant Moyes had to run with it.
Without being able to rest the Jamaica international or even incentivise him by dropping him from the team, it meant a return to form took far longer than usual and the club were forced to deal with the consequences.
In other West Ham news, how David Moyes dream XI could look after the summer transfer window
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