Under pressure David Moyes feels ‘let down’ by long-standing players

Neal Maupay’s first Everton goal added to the pressure mounting on former Everton manager David Moyes as his West Ham limped into the international break mired in the Premier League’s relegation zone.

It was a loss, against an Everton side without a win before their visit, which could yet prove costly for Moyes, who was quick to lay some of the blame on his long-standing players, rather than his host of summer signings.

It marked a fifth time in seven league games this season that Moyes has tasted defeat – 11 in the last 18 Premier League outings dating back to last season – and, for a team that started 2022 with aspirations of qualifying for the Champions League, the fall has been precipitous.

The Hammers have had the not entirely welcome distraction of the Europa League Conference to contend with – although, ironically, that competition has brought four wins out of four to date.

But three goals in seven league games is a harrowing statistic and one to which Moyes has to find a solution – starting with his first game back against a Wolves side currently one place above West Ham in the table.

“We had a game on Thursday night, so you have to take that into consideration as well, and we are trying to put new players in, get the best out of them and find out a bit about them,” said Moyes.

“But today I found out little bits, mainly about the players I already knew about. They were the players in the main who let me down today with their play overall.

“We felt we were dipping down a bit last season, I probably recognised it in February time, that we weren’t quite as strong.

“But the truth is we got to a European semi-final and we were challenging for the top six until the last 20 minutes of the Premier League season so we weren’t dipping that far.

“I just sensed we needed new players and a lot of those players played today and I need them.” 

Moyes bolstered his squad with eight new signings although his squad clearly remains a work in progress. For Lampard, in contrast, his last signing of the window was Maupay who wasted little time, on just his second appearance, in making his mark.

He struck after 53 minutes, following a forgettable first half, when Alex Iwobi played a short, sharp pass that eluded Declan Rice and allowed the striker to take a tidy controlling touch.

The ball sat up nicely for the Frenchman, a Lampard signing who arrived at Goodison late in the summer window, and, with Jan Thilo Kehrer failing to close him down, Maupay’s half-volley flew past Lukasz Fabianski from 16 yards.

It was Maupay’s fist goal since February, a run of 12 games without one, and could not have been better timed for player and club alike.

“We brought him in for that reason, he’s a proven Premier League scorer,” said Lampard.

“We’ve had to play wingers as number nine and play with false nines and there were times in games with that bit of clinical finishing, we would have got more points.

“Without a goalscorer in the team you have to find other ways but he now gives us another dimension and you can see we’ve added a lot in the dressing room.” 

The day had started with tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth, which as had been the case at several grounds this weekend, were marred by a handful of boos from the stands.

And the action that followed was equally flat over the opening 45 minutes, in fact until Maupay’s goal.

Much to Moyes’ annoyance, once fallen behind, his players finally showed their ability and created far the better chances over the remainder of the contest.

The Hammers manager must have thought his team had snatched an equaliser on 68 minutes when Tomas Soucek met an Aaron Cresswell corner with a glancing header that bounced inches wide.

Said Benrahma went even closer five minutes later, when a superb Soucek tackle freed him to curl a 25-yard shot past a stranded Asmir Begovic, only for the ball to hit the post and rebound clear.

The late pressure continued to come from the visitors and Begovic, deputising for the injured Jordan Pickford, made a fine late save to tip over an effort from Hammers sub Maxwel Cornet and did likewise from a threatening Jarrod Bowen cross.

Everton (4-3-3): Begovic 5; Patterson 7, Coady 6, Tarkowski 6, Mykolenkjo 6; Gueye 9 (Doucoure 80), Onana 7, Iwobi 7; Gray 8, Maupay 7 (Rondon 88), Gordon 5 (McNeil 74, 5). 

Substitutes (not used): Keane, Coleman, Davies, Vinagre, Jakupovic, Garner.

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6; Coufal 5, Kehrer 6, Zouma 5, Cresswell 6 (Emerson 90); Soucek 8, Rice 7; Bowen 6, Paqueta 5 (Benrahma 61, 6), Fornals 6 (Cornet 61, 5); Antonio 5 (Scamacca 70, 5). 

Substitutes (not used): Lanzini, Downes, Areola, Dawson, Ogbonna.

Referee: M Oliver 7.