Hammers boss David Moyes has sent perhaps his most damning and self-defeating message yet to the West Ham squad.
David Moyes was heralded for the way in which he managed his West Ham squad across different competitions in the previous two seasons.
That praise was right, especially during West Ham’s first season in Europe as they reached the Europa League semi-finals.
Although the Hammers underachieved in the Premier League last season, Moyes did managed to juggle things to keep West Ham up while winning the club’s first major trophy for 43 years.
This season, though, the poor job Moyes has done at building a squad has been exposed.
West Ham are seventh in the league and in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Lack of West Ham squad depth exposed
But it is off the back of working the same 11 or 12 players into the ground.
West Ham looked completely exhausted from about 60 minutes of both games against Spurs and Newcastle in the last week.
And that’s totally understandable given their workload again this term.
What’s baffling, though, given said workload, is Moyes’ dismal handling of his poorly constructed squad.
A lack of game time for some of his back-up players has resulted in West Ham being trapped in a vicious cycle of back-ups not being sharp or fit enough to make any real impact when they get a chance.
That ultimately left the manager in the ludicrous position where he did not feel confident enough to make a single substitution in the draw with Spurs – who made all five.
Well now Moyes has sent his most damning and self-defeating message yet to a West Ham squad built by him.
Moyes sends damning message that’s self-defeating
The boss was asked about squad rotation for the extremely busy run-in.
His response was hardly a message of motivation for those on the fringes at West Ham.
“I’ve not even thought about squad rotation,” Moyes said in his pre-match press conference, which you can watch below.
“We’re just excited about the games coming up.
“It’s great to be in the position we’re in. It’s difficult and there are teams around us, but we just need to take each game as it comes.”
When quizzed on his lack of substitutions against Spurs after second half changes cost him dear against Newcastle, Moyes said he is doing what he thinks is right.
“When you sit in the chair and you do the job, you have to make the decisions which you think are right for the team,” the Scot added.
“And quite often you can get them wrong. We chose on different occasions to do what we thought was right and we have to go with it, that’s what we do.”
Moyes also admitted West Ham do not have the strongest squad when asked about Edson Alvarez’s suspensions.
Moyes highlights lack of options in squad he built
What message does that send to A) the squad who he may well need during the run-in.
And B) to the owners who have given him full control of transfers over the last four years to build the squad as he sees fit.
That squad is the joint smallest in the Premier League and second oldest. The drop off in quality between the first XI and substitutes is stark.
But again it is Moyes who has constructed this squad.
So it is completely self-defeating to highlight his lack of belief in it.
Especially if he is hoping to retain an influence over recruitment should he remain as manager beyond the summer.