Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)

Moyes: Irons’ DNA too flaky

- BY TOM HOPKINSON

DAVID MOYES insists the biggest challenge he faces at West Ham is ridding the club of its flaky DNA.

The Hammers are in a real relegation scrap with a third of the season to go.

And, with a nightmare run of fixtures that starts with a trip to Manchester City today and then sees them face Liverpool, Southampto­n, Arsenal, Wolves, Spurs and Chelsea, Moyes knows things might get much worse before they get any better.

His plan is to rid the club of the defects in its genetic make-up and, if he can do that, then they will stop finding themselves in such positions every few years.

Moyes said: “We have to win one of these games and winning against big teams is in West Ham’s DNA.

“But what we have to take out of our DNA is not winning when in front, or playing where it looks like we’ve not turned up.

“When I took over at

Everton, I thought they were just happy staying out of the bottom three and I hated the mentality.

“I hated that, when we got to Easter and were safe, we hardly won another game one year. One of my biggest challenges was to get rid of that.

“My biggest thing here is to take out the DNA where West Ham are flaky and don’t get the results when they should get them.

“I felt the last time I was here I was just beginning to get a handle on that.

“It can only happen with a bit of persistenc­e, a bit of stability and continued developmen­t.

“There’ll always be a game when it doesn’t go right, but we need to pick up a Chelsea win or a Liverpool win — something along the journey.

“And if we don’t, we’ll have to win all the games we’re expected to win and that doesn’t come easy – that brings added pressure.”

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