HAMMERS FEELING THE HEAT

Moyes’ flops ‘recharge’ under sun in Miami, but board tried to stop trip after stadium anarchy

DAVID MOYES fought for his West Ham players to have their controversial Miami break this week – despite opposition from the club’s board.

The club were vilified after pictures emerged of the underachieving stars sunning themselves, following three consecutive league defeats, conceding 11 goals.

Fans stormed the pitch and attacked the board during last Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Burnley in scenes condemned by the footballing authorities.

Hammers chiefs considered pulling the plug on the US jaunt, which comes at the start of a three-week interval.

The club are out of the FA Cup, which is then followed by the international break. But Moyes argued that the trip – planned weeks in advance – would help his 19-man squad come together at a point of the season when unity is vital.

The Scot also saw the break as a chance to recharge the players’ batteries in time for the final, crucial eight games of the season. The squad will train every day – ahead of a tough run-in, with the club three points above the drop zone.

Skipper Mark Noble (right, tangling with a pitch invader last weekend) said: “We need to win at least three of our last games. We’ve come away to really get together as a team, speak some home truths and come back firing. People say, ‘ Yeah, they’ve gone away on holiday’, but, believe me, the way we train ain’t a holiday.

“We could easily have cancelled this trip after the weekend, but it was really important that we should come together as a group.”

Senior Hammers executives will attend talks today with the Safety

Advisory Group at the London Stadium to thrash out plans for improved policing.

The FA have given the club until tomorrow to submit their observations on last weekend.

West Ham, who face FA charges, will need credible plans to prevent a repeat of the four pitch invasions and violent picket of the directors’ box. If disciplinary hawks at Wembley are not satisfied with their explanation, the club may be ordered to play their vital relegation clash with Southampton on March 31 behind closed doors.

Then West Ham, their landlords, the London Legacy Development Corporation, the Metropolitan Police, stadium operator LS185 and Newham council, who issue the ground’s safety certificate, will discuss what happens next.

West Ham have pledged to ban for life – home and away – fans identified from the pitch invaders and those who threw missiles at Hammers chiefs.

LIFE’S A BEACH West Ham players make the most of the Florida sun on their training break