On the back of a promising Premier League season last time around, West Ham United have carried that momentum forward into this campaign as well.
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West Ham United endured a season to remember last time around, finishing a surprise sixth in the Premier League. The London club has carried that form into the current campaign, having won two and drawn two of their four matches so far in the league season. They are one of the few sides to have not lost a single match in the league so far. They have also started their Europa League campaign on a positive note. Following Thursday’s stunning 2-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb, the West Ham Twitter account posted a video of travelling fans singing the manager’s name – “David Moyes’ Claret and Blue Army.”
“I think you have got to earn it from any supporters at any football club,” he tells Sky Sports. “You have to earn the right for your name to be chanted. The West Ham supporters have been patient with me as well, when I first came in I’m not sure I was everybody’s choice but I always felt that given the right time and chances I could turn this club around. It’s got great potential.
“The supporters themselves have changed at West Ham over the last 18 months. The support we have had in the games has been incredible. In Zagreb it was great. It’s great they are chanting my name, but I see a change in them as well. People are saying they see a different West Ham team on the pitch; I’m seeing a completely different support. I’m seeing a positive, upbeat crowd. The away crowd is unbelievable, and when we had Leicester on the Monday Night Football, it was a brilliant support, a brilliant game.”
With West Ham’s progress clearly evident under Moyes, the manager is next targeting Champions League football. After playing Zagreb on Thursday, they next face Manchester United on Sunday in the Premier League. Moyes said, “Manchester United played Tuesday, so they have got a Tuesday-Sunday game, we have got a Thursday-Sunday game, it does not quite add up.”
“But if we can make the Champions League, then we might have the advantage in that fixture! So the next target is to make the Champions League so that we get a slightly better run of fixtures.”
Speaking about the team’s playing style, “I think the playing style is something I can keep improving. I would really like to have goals and exciting football but I’m also someone who knows if you do not defend well you do not win games either. You have got to find the correct balance with that.
“But I think West Ham as a club need to move on. There is a chance and potential for West Ham to get better. We want to challenge those top teams, and we have done. We are making a pretty good go of it seeing as we came in 18 months ago and the first job was to avoid relegation.
“So I think when you get that job, to make sure you do not get relegated, you have to find a way of winning the games. At that time we started moving things on; one or two players went, we changed the way we play, we changed the style. We are getting better, we have still got a long way to go, but we are certainly improving in a lot of aspects.”
