David Moyes faced a crucial test to win over West Ham’s fanbase, needing a goal spree of seven in a week to showcase his capability to lead the club forward. However, beyond the local support, Moyes is confident that West Ham is gradually building a formidable reputation on a wider scale.
The Europa Conference League titleholders are set to embark on another European journey, facing Freiburg in the Europa League after impressive wins against Brentford and Everton, where the latter did not deserve to lose.
Despite sitting seventh in the Premier League and vying for consecutive trophies, there are segments of Hammers supporters advocating for change, questioning Moyes’s contract renewal as his current deal expires in the summer. Nonetheless, Moyes is gratified by the growing recognition of West Ham’s progress, particularly internationally.
“We are now being seen as a team where people say, ‘Bloody hell, they’ve had a Europa semi-final and won a final,'” he remarked. “We’re getting to the stage where we’ve been there before and done it. I feel we’re getting back to form with Lucas Paqueta coming back and Jarrod Bowen scoring a hat-trick last week.”
In their recent encounter with Everton, West Ham displayed resilience, with goalkeeper Alphonse Areola delivering a standout performance with nine saves, including a penalty stop. Despite fan unrest, Moyes remained steadfast, emphasizing hard work and perseverance.
“He didn’t change at all, nothing,” Areola revealed. “We all worked hard every day and tried to put lots of coins in the machine to get the right results.”
On the other side, Everton’s woes continue as they extend their winless run to 10 matches amid ongoing financial disputes. Defender James Tarkowski stressed the importance of remaining focused despite off-field distractions.
“You could easily use that as an excuse, but we can’t,” Tarkowski commented. “We’ve been playing well. We cause teams problems but if you don’t put games to bed, you’re going to be punished.”