Moyes loses the plot as Hammers fall in Frankfurt
DAVID MOYES was sent off in a bizarre meltdown last night as West Ham’s European dreams went up in smoke in Frankfurt.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, the Hammers’ job was made even harder when Aaron Cresswell was sent off on 19 minutes, before Rafael Santos Borre extended Frankfurt’s lead. And late on, the red mist descended on Moyes and he was dismissed for kicking the ball at a ballboy.
Cresswell’s sending-off after just 18 minutes killed them, and from there they simply slipped out of the Europa League having made barely an impression on the semi-final stage. Beaten at home, beaten away, the abiding image of West Ham’s departure from the tournament will be of manager Moyes taking his frustration out on a ballboy, and getting a deserved red card.
It was not a good look, for the man, or the club. Two red cards, and no complaints about either.
Moyes let himself down. There were 12 minutes remaining when the ball went out of play and a ball boy decided to take some time out of the game, returning it to West Ham’s manager, slowly. Moyes’ reaction was to kick it back at him hard. There were angry words, too. His team fighting for their lives, you could understand his irritation. But it’s a kid. He over-reacted. If he wanted to sound off at anyone, try Cresswell.
It was possible to be optimistic until the Hammers left-back was ordered off.
West Ham playing a steady five at the back were handling Frankfurt well, and the Germans had lost influential defender Martin Hinteregger after just six minutes. Four had gone when he tried to get physical with Michail Antonio and came off second best. The pair collided and Hinteregger signalled that he was in distress. He has only recently returned from injury and the gamble hadn’t worked. He tried to continue but it was of no use. His game was over.
And then it was West Ham’s turn to suffer misfortune.
Cresswell was sent off in the first leg against Lyon after losing his man, but many thought the decision harsh. So what of this? He lost Frankfurt forward Jens Petter
Hauge and put his arms all over him. Hauge didn’t need much invitation to go down. He was looking for it but, equally, Cresswell gave it to him. When referee Jesus Gil Manzano gave a yellow card it looked as if he might have got away with it.
But that’s what VAR is for, to ensure justice is done. Alejandro Hernandez asked his colleague to have another look, which he did. He marched back and upgraded to red.
Moyes introduced Ben Johnson for Manuel Lanzini but the damage was done. From there, all of Frankfurt’s best work came down the side where Cresswell had been, including the 26th minute goal that left West Ham looking up an extremely steep hill.
Ansgar Knauff was now making hay on that flank and he dragged West Ham’s whole backline out of position before cutting back a cross sweetly for Borre in the middle. The Colombian had pulled away from Craig Dawson and was in a huge amount of space. He finished first time, into the corner and out of reach.
Frankfurt were comfortable, and looked it. Two goals clear on aggregate and playing ten men, Knauff continued to cause havoc on the flank and West Ham sat deep, unable to chase the game as they would have liked.
There were glimpses, of course. In the 44th minute, Jarrod Bowen centred, Antonio tried to bundle the ball in at the far post and Evan N’Dicka cleared off the line.
But this was a disappointing way to slide out of the competition, with so much at stake. No bang, and not even much of a whimper.
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (3-4-3): Trapp 6; Tuta 6, Hinteregger 6 (Toure 8), Ndicka 6; Knauff 6, Sow 6, Rode 6, Kostic 6; Hauge 6, Borre 8, Kamada 6. Subs not used: Grahl, Jakic, Hrustic, Lammers, Hasebe, Ache, Chandler, Da Costa, Lenz, Barkok, Panciencia. Booked: Ndicka. WEST HAM (3-4-2-1): Areola 6; Dawson 6, Zouma 6, Cresswell 2; Coufal 6, Soucek 6, Rice 6, Fornals 6 (Benrahma 74); Bowen 6, Lanzini 6 (Johnson 22); Antonio 6. Subs not used: Fabianski, Randolph, Yarmolenko, Vlasic, Noble, Diop, Fredericks, Masuaku, Kral, Alese. Booked: Rice. Sent off: Cresswell. Man of the match: Rafael Santos Borre. Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (Spain). Attendance: 48,000.
to try to manage the game out. Scott Arfield and Leon Balogun appeared for Jack and Scott Wright. The 5-3-2 formation which restricted RB Leipzig to one goal in Germany was pressed into action once more.
Containment was the name of the game. And allowed Leipzig a foothold in attack.
There was no containing Nkunku this time. Guilty of blowing some glorious chances in the first leg, the explosive French striker offered virtually nothing until he volleyed Angelino’s enticing cross past McGregor in stunning fashion with 20 minutes to play.
The loss of a goal was hard on the keeper after a superb save had denied Laimer seconds earlier. From nowhere, Leipzig were suddenly back in the game.
Against Braga in the last eight, Rangers defied the loss of a late goal and so it was here. On nights like this, Ibrox becomes a tour de force, a bowel-loosening torture chamber for opponents.
Lundstram’s late finish provoked a lap of honour which stretched late in to the night. God knows Rangers had earned it.