One well-known David Moyes supporter finally switched sides last night, after West Ham United were comfortably beaten by Bayer Leverkusen.
The Europa League clash with Bayer Leverkusen last night was one way traffic for the most part, and West Ham boss David Moyes failed to influence proceedings from the touchline.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side had their way with us last night but amazingly, Moyes told reporters how his team could learn from…wait for it…the German side’s ball-boys!
In fairness to the Scot and his players, the game-plan was the correct one, and had they held out for a 0-0 draw we would all be saying this morning that it was a Moyes masterclass.
However, if you are going to sit deep and soak up pressure, you have to cause your opponents some problems on the counter to make it work.
Aside from one break from the brilliant Michail Antonio, the Hammers just didn’t lay a glove on Leverkusen last night.
Many West Ham fans have been complaining about the performance last night, labelling it as a gutless, cowardly display.
There is definitely some truth to that – just look at the players we have. We’re not a League Two side playing away at Manchester City for heaven’s sake.
Now it seems as though the rest of the footballing world are waking up to Moyes’s archaic tactics…
Famous David Moyes ally finally switches sides after West Ham performance vs Leverkusen
The Scot has had his fair share of criticism from the Hammers fans throughout his tenure at the London Stadium.
However, there is one man who has almost always had the Scot’s back. Now though, it seems like he has finally switched sides…
Jacob Steinberg has become well-known for supporting Moyes through adversity but he wrote a scathing piece in The Guardian after last night’s surrender away at Leverkusen:
“The statistics pointed to Leverkusen dominance, the shot count 33 to West Ham’s one, the possession embarrassing.”
“Starved of the ball, the threat minimal without Bowen, West Ham toiled.”
The Guardian journalist is well-known for being a fierce ally of Moyes, and even supported him on his X account after the shambolic team selection and subsequent performance away at Liverpool in December.
He has also criticised some West Ham fans in the past for demanding a more possession based system from Moyes.
And then back in September, Steinberg wrote a piece for the Guardian highlighting how Moyes was continuing to defy his critics in his role as Hammers boss.
Then, at the start of this year, he wrote yet another glowing piece about the Scot, suggesting that the West Ham owners should offer him a brand new deal (Guardian).
So with that in mind, Steinberg’s open criticism of Moyes after the defeat to Bayer Leverkusen last night was a big turning point.
Whether or not the Hammers owners were thinking along the same lines remains to be seen though.
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