Blind Hammer reflects on Moyes’ new coaching setup
It was weird this morning. On the day after a West Ham game I woke up feeling quite serene. For the first time for ages I felt there was a steadying hand at the tiller of the West Ham defensive coaching setup.
After the Everton defeat I wrote that Moyes was not only a man in a hurry but one who needed to learn fast in what direction he wanted to go.
Before and after his appointment there were despairing references to Moyes as a “dinosaur that was going to rely solely on the long ball and parking the bus. In particular his instant recourse to and reliance on the strengths of Andy Carroll seemed ominous for the sort of football we could expect.
Yet after only a month in charge we find the guardian describing West Ham in the following terms.
“Chelsea was deservedly beaten by opponents who were simply more organised, more determined, and more athletic and who found a sting when on top.”
Even a couple of weeks ago the notion that West Ham could be more organised and athletic than a top four side seemed a pipe dream.
In complete contradiction to some of the early negative perspective Moyes is showing early signs of intellectual flexibility and insight. He swiftly identified our present vulnerability with a flat back 4, so easily exposed in the Everton game. He responded by having the insight to move Creswell into the left of a defensive 3. Cresswell responded by providing his best performance of the season. This solidity provided the platform for Masuaku to provide a rampaging man of the match performance at left wing back. He stressed the Chelsea defence all afternoon. Conte tried to counter Masuaku by introducing Moses to occupy and reduce his threat. In the event Moses spent more time chasing Masuaku than the other way around. On the right, Zabeleta had arguably his best performance in a West Ham shirt.
Moyes also seems able to unlock the mercurial talents of Arnautovic in a new look forward line up. Moyes stressed post match that Carroll still had an important role at the club but these were talents that would be needed for some but not all games. Yesterday he wanted the pace and mobility of both Arnautovic and Antonio. Even when Arnautovic was withdrawn he wanted the greater mobility that Sakho offered. Moyes provided blunt straightforwardness by criticising Antonio’s physical collapse after the game. He made it clear that he needed forwards who could play for 90 and not 65 minutes. MOYES IS SHOWING ABILITY TO GRAPS SOME uncomfortable NETTLES. THIS WAS HUGELY DEMONSTRATED BY HIS RETENTION OF Adrian in goal. Adrian must feel vindicated now after Sullivan’s description of Hart as the best goalkeeper he has ever worked with.
Above all what was encouraging for me was the evidence of intelligent coaching. My in-stadium commentator told us that behind him were Alan Irvine who was in constant communication on a mobile link to Moyes’ earpiece. From his high viewpoint he provided feedback on patterns of play and development that Moyes would have found difficult to see from the touchline. On the touchline the presence of Pearce which is vast amount of international and club management and coaching experience was so much more reassuring to see than Julian Dicks, legendary as a player but sadly not as a coach.
Last night when I got home I re-listened to the game on iPlayer. Pat Nevins thought that all over the park Moyes had out thought Conte tactically. Specifically he thought West Ham had trained to disrupt the previously successful hazard Morata combination and link up play. Morata was also nullified in the box through defenders ganging up on him. He praised how generally West Ham’s midfield quashed Chelsea’s threat by not just effort but also intelligence.
For me personally, I was gratified that we did not, every time we won a corner, then concede an effort on our goal on the break. Special praise is due to Obiang, who provided this covering security.
Finally yet again the Stadium provided an atmosphere to be proud of. The nonsense that the arena is a soulless bowl was yet again disproven. The atmosphere is dreadful when we are playing badly and do not appear to have a clue. The same was true for Upton Park actually.
One Swallow does not make a summer but at last there is some reason for optimism.
COYI
David Griffith