David Moyes Blames his players for lacking mental toughness after humiliating defeat at Stamford Bridge.
David Moyes didn’t mince his words as he criticized his own squad for their lack of mental fortitude following a dismal defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
“It’s happened several times this season, I didn’t enjoy today at all. Players not in their positions, running out of position, opening up too easily.
“We were lacking toughness, leadership, mental toughness. We’ve now had two away games where we’ve conceded five. The manager will always take the responsibility because that’s what you do in this job, you have to prepare them and get them right, setting them up.”
Moyes lambasted his players for repeated positional errors and an overall lack of resilience on the pitch.
Criticism extends to leadership, notably Kurt Zouma’s ineffectual captaincy, a decision Moyes adamantly defends despite evident shortcomings.
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Speculation swirls regarding player discontent, potentially triggering an exodus from a club perceived as toxic and directionless.
Blame extends beyond the pitch, with the board’s lack of leadership deemed unacceptable, leaving Moyes to navigate turbulent waters alone.
With player confidence in tactics waning, the team mirrors the club’s aimlessness. Urgency mounts for the chairman to act decisively, potentially signaling the end of Moyes’ tenure.
Ahead of the Luton fixture, the club faces a critical juncture, teetering on the brink of protest rather than commemoration for their beleaguered manager.
Soucek admits “Westham United got what they deserved. “
“We really deserved it, because we did not do what we were told,” conceded the Czech midfielder. “We did some good individual things [well], but not as a team.
“Both going forward and going backwards we did many things wrong and we got punished for that. On the other hand, we could have scored a few goals, but we conceded a lot of easy goals too.”
West Ham’s number 28 was unable to pinpoint exactly why West Ham were forced to suffer yet another humiliating defeat, this time at the hands of one of their keenest London rivals.
And despite this latest capitulation, he was insistent that the spirit in the dressing room remains positive.
“As a team, we have to have great spirit,” he said. “We want to be in Europe again because we played in Europe for three years in a row and both we and our fans enjoyed it.
“We wanted to be successful as a team and teamwork on the pitch is so important if we want to be successful. I want to continue be successful, we have been successful for three years in a row.
“We have been beaten heavily in the last couple of away games and this cannot happen. It can happen maybe once a season with unlucky goals, but not like that.”
Soucek urged his teammates to deliver a compelling performance for the fans in the upcoming final home game against relegation-threatened Luton Town.
“We have one week to go to get a result for our fans,” he added. “We have time to show respect to our club and get the win for our fans.”
