David Moyes deserves more credit as West Ham United already nine points better off than last season
There has been an overwhelming sense of positivity among West Ham United fans so far this season that has stemmed from the Hammers’ much much-improved domestic displays.
Last season David Moyes and his side struggled domestically, but ensured that they had fans on side with an incredible Europa Conference League win that made sure that the former Everton boss would remain in charge at the London Stadium this season.
Things couldn’t have gone much better in the early part of the campaign, with the Hammers currently sitting seventh in the league, with their only defeats coming to Manchester City and Liverpool and the huge improvement is testament to the work done by Moyes.
According to a report by Planet Football (3 October) West Ham are one of the most improved teams in the Premier League when you compare their current position in the division with where they were at the same point in the 2022/23 campaign.
Moyes’ side are currently nine points better off than they were after seven games last season, having scored 10 more goals and they have climbed 11 league positions despite conceding one more goal this year.
That is a hugely impressive turnaround when you consider that the Irons have already faced Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola’s teams, as well as Chelsea and Brighton in what has been a far-from-easy start to the season, all while progressing in the League Cup and winning their opening Europa League tie.
What is perhaps the most surprising figure in that list is the huge increase in goals scored by West Ham although Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse have started the season excellently, many were worried before the start of the season about the lack of a prolific number nine in Moyes’ ranks.
With Gianluca Scamacca leaving England to return to Italy with Atalanta, the Irons looked short of forward options, but so far have scored more goals than Manchester United, Chelsea and Crystal Palace as they look in the fight for the European places once again.
This has all been without Moyes truly unleashing Mohammed Kudus in the league as the summer arrival waits for his first Premier League start. The 23-year-old registered 19 Eredivisie goals last season for Ajax and will add an extra string to the Hammers bow.
While many are quick to criticise Moyes for his defensive first style of play, he has truly made West Ham a complexly unrecognisable team when compared to where they were a year ago and he deserves plenty of credit for turning the Hammers’ fortunes around.
In other West Ham news, Vladimir Coufal has admitted he was shocked that Ward-Prowse and Bowen didn’t make the last England squad