THE PEN ISN’T MIGHTIER THAN THE SCORED
Hammers are in 5th, scored 34 goals and awarded NO spot-kicks.. but Moyes tells his high-fliers: Don’t start falling down NOW to con refs
DAVID MOYES wants his players to continue to be stand-up guys – even though West Ham are the only Premier League team not to have won a penalty all season.
West Ham travel to Fulham today, a side they only beat at the London Stadium after Ademola Lookman fluffed a Panenka penalty in the final minute.
Although Moyes is still more concerned that Tom Cairney won the award in the first place after the intervention of VAR.
The Fulham captain appeared to go to ground very easily – but the Hammers boss is adamant he does not want his own players to follow suit, whatever the reward. “We were saying that the other night (against Aston Villa) – there was a couple of incidents of players staying on their feet, getting into the box,” Moyes said.
“If you look at the amount of times Michail Antonio is touched and, because of his physical capacity, stays on his feet. And my ideal would be that players stay up.
“I don’t want them in any way trying to con referees but it is quite incredible that, with the position we are in, we have not had a penalty kick. Not even close for the attempts and chances we’ve created.
“I can think of two or three penalties – against Fulham and Liverpool – where I would say incredibly little contact and the referees gave them.
“I don’t want a side who surround the referee or try to influence them in any way but, in the same breath, I’m hoping in the second half of the season we might do more. “Maybe we have to get in the box more, find people who will take the ball in the box more. But the penalties we’ve given away, some of them have been incredibly soft.
“So you’re just hoping we’ll get what we’re due – a few penalties over the second half of the season.”