MOYES TO MEN
New boss tells Hammers: You asked for more work to be fit, so don’t moan when you get it
DAVID MOYES began his West Ham reign with a stark warning for his players, telling them: Don’t start crying if we work you hard.
The new Hammers boss made it clear he is ready to get tough with the squad he has inherited from Slaven Bilic and that they need to “stand up” and “take a bit of responsibility”.
Mirror Sport revealed how some senior Irons stars told Bilic that a lack of discipline contributed to his downfall, when he spoke to them in the wake of his sacking.
There were also complaints about the quality and intensity of training under the Croatian, who was axed on Monday.
Moyes’ appointment has not gone down well with Hammers fans and he admits he has a “point to prove” after being handed a fresh Premier League chance on an initial, six-month contract, which he insisted he was viewing as his last. But the 54-year-old, who put those players not on international duty through double training, issued a challenge to his stars.
Speaking at his London Stadium unveiling, he said: “If the players were maybe thinking the work had not been hard enough or they maybe had not done enough, OK, I hope they won’t cry if we turn them around and work them harder.
“I don’t want them to say, ‘This is too much’. Somewhere along the line, responsibility has to be taken by the players.
“I am in a bit of a rush and I will say, ‘If you don’t like it, sorry’. We might need to upset a few to get where we need to go.
“If you earn the wages that they are, then you have a job and the club don’t own you, but they certainly know you’re there and you have to prepare yourself right and act professionally.”
Moyes looked and sounded refreshed and raring to go again after a turbulent four-year spell in his managerial career ended in May when he quit Sunderland, following their relegation.
He described taking over the Black Cats as a “poor decision”, having not done his “due diligence.”
A prematurely ended reign in Spain at Real Sociedad, following a disastrous 10 months at Manchester United, has left many doubting if he is still the same boss who spent 11 years with Everton.
But, when asked about co-chairman David Sullivan’s description of his appointment as a gamble, Moyes said: “I think it’s a good gamble.
“And I think, if I was a West Ham chairman, I’d certainly consider David Moyes as manager. I think they’ve got a good manager. I’ve had my disappointments, but I’ve also had some good times.
“I do have a point to prove. Sometimes you have to repair things and maybe I have a little bit to repair. This is my sixth club and I hope it’s a long stay.
“Long enough for both of us to be happy.”