Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CLARET AND BLUMENTHAL
Moyes: Pep’s wacky recipes for success means he’s just like chef Heston, whereas I’m more like Gordon Ramsay... you know exactly what you’re going to get!
DAVID MOYES says Pep Guardiola is like the Heston Blumenthal to his... Gordon Ramsay.
West Ham manager Moyes faces 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 boss is always coming up with wacky new recipes for success. Blumenthal is renowned for inventing bizarre dishes like 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 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. Full-backs 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 full-back Joao Cancelo (right) into midfield when City are in possession.
The Hammers boss said: “I get this feeling he is in a think-tank room, thinking about how he can make his players perform better.
“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-thetable City are the only team who have been in better form than West Ham in the league in 2021. But Moyes said: “I’m striving for better, 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 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 betterteamsbut hopefully we can keep punching above our weight.”
Moyes also confirmed the Hammers are weighing up whether to activate a clause in Craig Dawson’s contract making his loan move from Watford permanent.