Moyes issues wake-up call to West Ham as new standards demanded after Burnley draw
David Moyes issued something of a wake-up call to West Ham after they were held by Burnley, reminding them of the higher standards they must maintain if they are to stay where they are in the league.
West Ham were unable to find a way past their relegation-threatened opponents in a goalless draw. The Hammers had 16 shots but only three were on target, in comparison to Burnley’s tallies of nine and one respectively.
The visitors at Turf Moor also had more possession, but couldn’t make it count. Although they remain in a good position in the table, they are now on a run of just two wins from six in all competitions, and one in five in the Premier League.
West Ham will still finish the weekend in the top four, but some things will need to change if they are to stay there.
One area of concern for the club has been their attacking output. In their last five matches, they have only scored multiple goals on one occasion.
There is a reliance on Michail Antonio to get the goals but it is no secret that they need to expand who they depend on.
Moyes admitted after the Burnley stalemate that quality in the attacking areas was lacking.
He told Match of the Day: “There is [disappointment] because we had plenty of opportunities to try and get a goal. But Burnley make it difficult for you. They don’t concede many.
“We just didn’t have the quality in the final third that we needed today. We got in quite a few times but we couldn’t get a goal.
“You need to try and make sure you’re able to deal with a lot of what Burnley do. We played very well here last year and we were hoping we could do the same.
“There were signs that our football was good. We just couldn’t quite get the final bit, that last cross, which obviously made the difference.”
West Ham exceeded expectations to qualify for Europe last season and are making the most of their continental involvement this term. They are aiming to repeat the feat,or potentially even better it by reaching the Champions League. But Moyes knows they now need to adjust their mindset.
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Asked about his side’s confidence, he said: “They’re in really good spirits because we’re in a good position. But once you set high standards, which a lot of them have, and they’ve seen the levels they can get to, I think some of them are playing below it.
“Some of them need to get back up to the high standards if they’re going to remain in this position.
“I’d rather tell them that than not. There’s no point in me pussy-footing around it and not saying it. I want to win. I want us to play a better and a few of them can certainly do that.”
Sean Dyche shares similar reaction to David Moyes
There were similar feelings for Burnley boss Sean Dyche after the game. It has been a tough start to the season for the Clarets, who appear to be in danger of going down.
Dyche is also dealing with the issue of not creating enough, but he was at least pleased to keep West Ham at bay.
He told Match of the Day: “We didn’t play well at all in the first half. They’re a good outfit, we know that.
“In the second half we tried to affect the game. I was a bit more pleased. We were on the front foot, had a bit more energy and we pressed better. There was a bit of nervousness today, a bit of anxiety. I thought the crowd were outstanding.
“The league table, they look at it, people keep telling you what’s happening and it affects you. But in the second half we calmed our performance down. We did what we want to try and do.
“A clean sheet against these is good. They’re in good form. Just the doggedness, we were way off with our performance in the first half.
“The defensive side of our game has been important every season in the Premier League, we’re actually not far away on that. It’s the attacking side, we’ve got to find more big moments.”
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