David Moyes may have made another West Ham United mistake as Flynn Downes shines in 97% display
West Ham United are stuck in a bit of a rut currently, with the Hammers failing to win any of their last four matches in all competitions following their 1-0 defeat to Everton.
Pressure is beginning to mount on David Moyes as his position at the London Stadium appears to be becoming less and less secure, with reports emerging that he is closer to the sack than he has been for a very long time [Claret and Hugh, 30 October].
One criticism levelled at the Scotsman has been his rotation during the Europe League campaign, with a seeming lack of depth in the side, with a strong first 11 but a lack of genuine quality to call upon from the bench.
While the Hammers continue to struggle, Flynn Downes is seemingly going from strength to strength during his loan spell with Southampton in the Championship and put in yet another incredible midfield display against Birmingham City on Saturday (28 October).
The 24-year-old completed 125 passes in the Saints’ 3-1 win, with a completion rate of 97 per cent as he only missed his target on four occasions. 100 per cent of his long passes were accurate with six of his efforts finding a teammate in the final third [Fotmob].
Defensively, Downes was no slouch either, winning all three of his attempted tackles in the game and coming out on top in five ground duels, all while managing to make three ball recoveries alongside Will Smallbone and Stuart Armstrong in midfield.
This is by no means a one-off for the West Ham loanee who put in an even better display against Hull City only a week ago, once again completing 97 per cent of his passes and even picking up an assist for Ryan Fraser’s last winner.
While the Championship is a big step down from the Premier and Europa League, you have to wonder whether Moyes would have been better off keeping Downes at the London Stadium this season as a rotation option, given the lack of depth in his side.
James Ward-Prowse has started every game in the Premier League since he arrived from St Mary’s this summer, as well as all three Europa League matches, meaning the 28-year-old is yet to be given a rest this season and his performances have suffered because of it in the last week.
Moyes spent £12million to bring Downes to West Ham in 2022 [Sky Sports] and has barely used him since and you have to wonder whether the decision to loan him out this summer may well prove to have been a costly mistake. Given his impressive form on the south coast, he could well have proved helpful in this poor run of form.
It’s unlikely to be the final nail in the coffin should Moyes be sacked by the Irons, but it feels like yet another naive mistake from the Hammers boss.
In other West Ham news, Danny Murphy has admitted that he isn’t worried about the Hammers after their recent poor run of form