Hammer hell! Moyes faces new despair
Dismal West Ham gift Watford a win
Welcome to West Ham, David moyes, and the dubious thrill of another relegation battle with a poor team, devoid of confidence and with revolt spreading at a perilous rate through the club’s fan base.
If he dared to hope anything would be easier than the basket case he inherited at Sunderland, last season, moyes may have to think again after starting his new job in dismal fashion at Watford.
Goals from Will Hughes and Richarlison condemned West Ham to their seventh defeat in a dozen Premier league games, leaving them locked inside the bottom three, but there was much more by way of despair for the new boss.
His team were wasteful in front of goal and fragile at the back and their pedestrian pace was brutally exposed by Watford’s quickminded midfielders, slick passing and the power of Richarlison.
Andy carroll, who should be West Ham’s greatest asset, showed further signs of becoming a total liability and, off the pitch, the mood is turning toxic. Fans in the away end vented their anger at the board, turned on carroll and sang with gallows humour about the prospect of a derby with millwall in the championship next season.
There was no anti-moyes abuse but nor was there a warm welcome for the man chosen to succeed Slaven Bilic and who was taking charge of his 500th game as a topflight manager.
It made for a surreal occasion because there was a notable lack of affection from home fans towards marco Silva despite Watford’s desire, energy and a deserved win which lifts them up to eighth.
Silva is wanted by everton, who are ready to move heaven and earth and pay £10million to get their hands on him.
Silva, it appears, would like the chance to leave, and who can blame him? Watford’s sacking culture under Gino Pozzo means they hardly represent a secure future.
The only question was whether the team had been unsettled by everton’s intrusion. The answer was soon clear as they moved into an early lead when Hughes pounced on Andre Gray’s miscued effort and claimed his first goal since moving from Derby in June.
Until then, the encounter had been unruly and disjointed with
Carroll making life uncomfortable for Watford’s defenders. Dutch wingback Marvin Zeegelaar made his club debut with cotton-wool plugs in his nostrils after an aerial challenge with West Ham’s centre forward in the opening 10 seconds.
Whether it was a foul or not, it was a dumb move by Carroll, starting his first game since a red card at Burnley, who turned his physical style into an issue for referee Andre Marriner.
Each moment of contact was exaggerated by opponents and the home crowd. Marriner booked him in the first half and Carroll lacked control, which did nothing to help his team.
Watford, in contrast, zipped the ball fluently. Hughes and Tom Cleverley were influential in midfield and Richarlison caused havoc whenever he picked up the ball and ran.
Joe Hart denied the young Brazilian in the first half and produced a fine save from Adrian Mariappa before conceding the second.
Richarlison collected a pass from Hughes, breezed past Winston Reid and drove it low past Hart to effectively secure the points.
West Ham, having taken more than half an hour to stir as an attacking force, could not find a way to beat Heurelho Gomes. With the score at 1-0, Gomes foiled Cheikhou Kouyate and then produced a double save to frustrate Marko Arnautovic, beating out his header and then blocking his follow-up attempt with a boot.
Early in the second half, Arnautovic created a glorious opening for Kouyate only to see the midfielder inexplicably miss the target with a simple side-footer from 10 yards.
Adding to the general feeling of mayhem, Arnautovic was substituted after suffering what was clearly a very painful thumb injury, but while shouting at Moyes to let him continue. The club are sending him for an X-ray.
Christian Kabasele produced a terrific goal-line clearance from Manuel Lanzini but by then, Richarlison had made it 2-0 and the away fans were well into their full repertoire.
‘Sack the board’ they chorused and hurled abuse at co- owners David Gold and David Sullivan and vicechair Karren Brady.
They sang ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ and taunted Carroll in reference to his comments about their loyalty after the defeat against Liverpool and they booed the team down the tunnel at the final whistle.
Welcome back to the touchline David Moyes. Have you missed it?