David Moyes could now face West Ham United sack after being let down by board
For the first time in a long time, some West Ham supporters have turned on manager David Moyes following the heavy loss at Aston Villa on Sunday [22 October].
The Irons were thumped 4-1 by a team they are supposed to be competing with for a European spot in the Premier League, with Moyes’ men simply outclassed at Villa Park.
Three defeats in the space of five league matches – and just one victory, against bottom side Sheffield United – has taken the gloss of what was an impressive start to the campaign.
West Ham now find themselves down in ninth, five points off Villa in fifth, and could really do with responding in their next league match – a fixture against Everton next weekend.
The Irons first have a Europa League trip to Olympiacos to factor in, but regardless of the result in that game, the pressure – fairly or unfairly – will grow on Moyes far more if United were to lose to lowly Everton.
Worryingly for Moyes, he will be without one of his ever-presents for that contest against his former side, as Emerson Palmieri will serve a one-match suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the Villa defeat.
Emerson is one of six outfield players to have started all nine Premier League matches for United this season, while only Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma have played every minute of those games [WhoScored].
That is in part down to the fact Emerson has performed pretty well, but also because of a lack of serious options at left-back. With Emerson ruled out, Moyes will likely turn to either Aaron Cresswell or Thilo Kehrer against Everton.
This is an issue that could have been avoided, as West Ham were linked with numerous left-backs throughout the summer, most notably Ian Maatsen.
While the club’s overall transfer business cannot be faulted, a failure to bring in another full-back – possibly even two – was a big oversight. And it may well be Moyes who is left to pay the price should United lose again next weekend.
That may sound far-fetched on the face of it, four months on from United’s Europa Conference League triumph, but that is the way football works. Moyes knows that better than anyone.
Hopefully, though, it does not come to that, and whoever is fielded at left-back against Everton can step up and play their part in a much-needed return to winning ways.
In other West Ham news, Moyes made a sack admission on Sky Sports prior to the defeat at Villa.