PEP’S A BLUMEN GENIUS
V City boss is football’s answer to Heston... I’m more like Gordon Ramsay says Moyes
DAVID MOYES says Pep Guardiola is like the Heston Blumenthal to his Gordon Ramsay.
The West Ham manager clashes with Guardiola today hoping to end Manchester City’s record-breaking 19-match winning streak.
But Moyes says his task is made tougher because, just like celebrity chef Blumenthal, the City manager is always coming up with wacky new recipes for success.
Blumenthal is renowned for inventing bizarre dishes such as snail porridge and bacon and eggs ice cream while Ramsay is famous for turning the air blue.
Moyes said: “Pep does things in football terms which are remarkable. He is always looking for new ideas. He is innovative.
“I might draw a really bad analogy here: Heston Blumenthal, who mixes chocolate with eggs or something stupid and outrageous.
“He is nearly the Heston Blumenthal of football. He does things where you
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think, ‘That is never going to work, that is not going to taste right or look good’.
“Snail porridge! That’s what I’m talking about. It’s ridiculous. Fullbacks going into midfield.
“He’s done things as a football coach which lots of people wouldn’t have thought of doing.
“Which chef am I? Gordon Ramsay, all day long! And you know what you’re getting there, don’t you?”
Moyes was responding to a question about Guardiola’s latest tactical tweak, easing fullback Joao
Cancelo into midfield when City are in possession. The Hammers manager said: “I get this feeling he is in a think-tank room, thinking about how he can make his players perform better. That is how I look at Pep.
“He is making all the other managers think about how you can try to deal with what they are doing.” A 1-1 draw in this season’s reverse fixture in October ended City’s ninematch winning run against the Hammers.
And top-of-the-table City are the only team who have been in better form than West Ham in the Premier League this calendar year. But Moyes said: “I’m striving for better. I’m always thinking our performances could be better.
“City have to lose at some point and I hope that is the case.We are in good form and I hope we can try and show it.”
West Ham are in the top four after 25 top-flight matches for the first time since 1986, when they finished the season third.
But Moyes believes a Champions League finish could be beyond his team.
He said: “I don’t think it’s going to be this year. I don’t think we are at that level but we will push all the way to see if we can do it.
“There are better teams in the League but, hopefully, we can keep punching above our weight and see what happens.”
Moyes also confirmed that West Ham are weighing up whether to activate a clause in Craig Dawson’s contract making his loan move from Watford permanent.
THERE’S a lot of pressure on England today. Lose against Wales in Cardiff and their Six Nations race is run.
Eddie Jones has shown a lot of faith in the players he trusts but if Wales beat them he might well make changes for the rest of the championship so quite a few of them are playing for their places.
A coach can only back out-of-form players for so long.
We certainly haven’t seen the best of England yet.The victory over Italy was an improvement on the defeat by Scotland but it was only Italy. Wales represents a big step up for Jones and his players.
England need to bring all parts of their game together if they are to pull this one off.
It is certainly time for them to perform.
I didn’t really fancyWales before the championship but Lady Luck has been with them with the red cards in their first two matches and they have made the most of it and found a way to win. Now they have momentum and confidence.
When I run down the players in the Wales side I see a line-up that matches up well with England.
The prevailing wisdom is that an empty Principality Stadium in Cardiff will benefit England but it could actually help Wales’s inexperienced players such as their rising star Louis Rees-Zammit and Kieran Hardy.
The pressure a massive crowd brings with it – even one that is behind you – can throw a young player off. Rees-Zammit wide and they will back themselves but, if England can handle them and impose themselves, they could be well on their way.
I just have a feeling that England will deliver today and edge what is a must-win game is definitely the man of the for them. moment. He has been one of Either way, the emotions will the stars off the Six Nations so run high for this one. It is a far. fierce rivalry – even in my
His match-up against Jonny living room.
May will be fast and My wife isWelsh and I have fascinating. The Wales back to admit it is a problem three of Rees-Zammit, Josh watching Wales v England Adams and LiamWilliams is together. lethal and England will have We’ll start the match all on their guard in association with in the same to keep them room but contained. They there’s no will want to take guarantee it England on out will end that way.
England will need all parts of their game to win this