MOYES WANTS IRONS MAIDEN
DAVID MOYES and Declan Rice will be fighting to keep alive their dreams of ending West Ham’s long wait for silverware tonight.
In 128 years of East End toil, Ron Greenwood (in 1964 and 1965) and John Lyall (1975 and 1980) are the only Hammers managers to land a trophy.
And the Europa Conference League represents Irons boss Moyes’ best opportunity to break his duck after a career spanning 1,085 games.
For skipper Rice – likely to leave West Ham this summer
– this could be his last chance to sign off in glory.
But last week Gent gave them all the trouble they could handle in a 1-1 draw.
Moyes (inset) said: “I’ve won one or two bits in my career, but not the big ones. As I’ve said many times, I’m in awe of the likes of Jose Mourinho, Pep (Guardiola) and the incredible managers who do it so many times.
“But if you look through the whole history of managers, there’s not many who actually go on to do it.
“I’ve picked up the Community Shield, and other bits and pieces, but not enough, that’s for sure.
“Expectations are high here because of how well we’ve done in the last two seasons. Isn’t it incredible that West Ham are expected to win the Europa Conference League? “And it says a lot that people think we’re worthy of it.” West Ham have only won three Premier League games on a Sunday after 10 midweek assignments in Europe this season, landing Moyes in the thick of a relegation battle.
But he is expected to park Sunday’s massive game at Bournemouth and go full-throttle tonight.
The ex-Everton boss said: “I believe we have an opportunity and we have to try and take it.”
WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Johnson, Zouma, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Lanzini; Antonio.