David Moyes drops ‘not bad’ verdict amid history bid in West Ham v Freiburg Europa League clash
David Moyes was unaware that West Ham can set a new record should they avoid defeat against Freiburg on Thursday [5 October].
The Irons have gone 16 games without losing a European match, which is one short of the all-time record for an English side.
Prior to their showdown with Freiburg, they are level with Pep Guardiola’s current Manchester City team, Bill Nicholson’s 1970s Tottenham and Don Revie’s Leeds United side from the 1960s.
Asked about the record at his pre-match news conference on Wednesday [4 October], as per BBC Sport, Moyes said: “I didn’t know that. Not bad names then, are they?”
One to be proud of
West Ham have enjoyed many memorable nights on the continent over the past couple of seasons, not least in winning the Europa Conference League in June.
Moyes’ men won 14 of their 15 European matches last season, including qualifiers, and defeated Backa Topola 3-1 on matchday one in this season’s Europa League.
Some will dismiss this record should they avoid defeat at Europa-Park Stadion, given the other English sides mentioned went on their long unbeaten runs in the European Cup, but West Ham deserve plenty of credit.
A draw in Germany would be considered a positive result on the back of beating minnows Topola last time out, and Moyes is likely to field a strong starting line-up to reflect the difficulty of the game.
It is not exactly a record West Ham fans will be talking about for years to come, but it is another notable achievement nonetheless and one to be proud of.
In other West Ham news, Freiburg’s manager has attempted to put all the pressure on the Hammers ahead of their showdown.