MOYES: HARD RUN IS KILLER
ALAN PARDEW has accused the Premier League of endangering his players with the scheduling of tonight’s game.
West Brom chairman
John Williams pleaded unsuccessfully with
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore (right) to move the fixture – which comes just two days after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Williams phoned and wrote to league chiefs in an attempt to get the date changed for the visit to West Ham, who have had a week’s rest since their Boxing Day draw at Bournemouth.
The Hammers were originally due to play Tottenham on New Year’s Eve in a televised game, but concerns over public transport issues saw the date switched to Thursday, them a free weekend.
Pardew feels that leaves his struggling side, seeking to end a run of 19 league games without a win, at a big disadvantage.
Pardew, who has had seven matches at the helm, said: “We made strong representations. It will be a tough game and they’ve had six days’ rest. That’s the bigger issue.
“How we’ve got two days in professional Premier League football, putting players at risk of injury in my opinion, isn’t right. “It’s terrible. We all know there is pressure on TV companies for ratings and games and I understand that. But the league has to be stronger and say two days is not right.
“There are some players who won’t be able to cope with that – I would be putting them at risk.
“A two-day turnaround for a Premier League game is just not fair. I find it very difficult to giving accept – for the protection of the players.
“I think their response has been, ‘London, train drivers, transport issues’.”
In a statement, the Premier League pointed to the “complex” nature of the fixture schedule and having to “ensure twinned clubs do not play at home at the same time, and take into account police requests, local events, broadcasting selections and several other factors”.
UEFA and FIFA have taken more dates from the football calendar and an earlier end to the season because of the World Cup left fewer options.
It added: “These challenges were highlighted to all our clubs ahead of the season, and all understood there could be no perfect solution.” DAVID MOYES is willing to be the victim of an FA Cup giant-killing if it helps West Ham stay up. Moyes’s side go to League One Shrewsbury on Sunday for their third match in six days – a run that starts tonight against fellowstrugglers West Brom.
The Scot (above) knows Hammers fans were angry when then boss Sam Allardyce fielded an understrength side that crashed out of the Cup at Nottingham Forest four years ago.
But he is adamant his priority must lie in the league – and that tough schedule means something has to give. He said: “I remember that. But do you not think the position we are in now the focus would only be on our Premier League status?
“If you’re talking about winning the Cup, you’ve still got to beat all the teams to get there.
“So it’s difficult. Do I want to win the FA Cup? One hundred per cent. But I don’t think it can be where we can damage our league season.”