David Moyes
You must be delighted with the resilience you showed throughout the 90 minutes?
That’s a good word to use, we showed patience and the resilience and the character of the players and how they’ve been performing for not even weeks but for probably a year and a half at least is sort of shining through today. So lots of good performances, lots of good things so great credit to the players for how they continue to grow.
How pleasing is it that you’ve come off the back of a European fixture and had this performance because obviously in the previous two games you have conceded late goals? Because it is so relentless what can that do to the team’s confidence that you can play in Europe and then actually still have such a great win?
I don’t think it’s easy in whatever league to win three games in a week. We’ve had to play Sunday, Thursday, Sunday and to pick up three results is great credit, again. I just think the players have done a great job, not just the players today but the squad of players have done a great job because I needed them in midweek. We are still getting used to it. We’re still trying to find the right balance and the right blend in all the games to try and get things right. I didn’t think we were fatigued today we were just up against a strong Tottenham team who have big threats and we found a way of winning in a different way than last week. We had so much of the ball at Everton, but still only scored one goal from a set-piece and today we might have had a bit less of the ball to you but we still found a way of getting a goal.
Aaron Cresswell had an excellent game today, what is your view on that?
I actually thought that all the defenders played very well. I actually thought young Ben Johnson, when you think that we’ve been with a couple of the right-backs recently, I think Ben Johnson has had three games this week, and I thought he was fabulous. But Cresswell has been reliable, steady, very consistent and obviously, he has got himself another assist, but I’m sure there will be a question probably somewhere about the set pieces. Before Everton, I don’t think we’d scored a goal from a set-piece this season but this week we have hit the jackpot and we’ve got a goal from set-pieces and in all the games.
How quickly has Kurt Zoumaadapted to the team and how well did he play today, is he ahead of the curve in terms of what you were expecting?
When we signed Kurt the idea was that we knew he was someone who had Premier League experience who had come from a really big club and was young enough to help us hopefully for several years, so that was the thought process behind it but we’ve just mentioned how well Aaron Cresswell has played, you’ve mentioned Kurt Zouma, we’ve mentioned Ben Johnson, so I think the defensive boys had a really good performance but you look at the team in midweek and how well Craig Dawson and Issa Diop played in the game so at the moment we need to be strong because there’ll be bigger games and harder games and many more games coming up where we’re going to need them to defend well.
You’ve got a good record against Spurs recently. Is it because you’ve got strong characters in your team?
I think we are growing the characters at the moment. I think if you look at where these boys were maybe a few years ago or two years ago. I think they’ve all, they’ve all blossomed. They’re all feeling important, they’re all thinking that they can make a difference and I think that’s within the club. I think the club West Ham is blossoming, now that comes from the team and it comes from inside the building. The support today was fantastic as well, as it would be, as you would expect from a derby. I just think those players are all improving together and that is big thing to have.
Cresswell has got three assists so far this season. Last season he provided eight, when it comes to set pieces how important is he?
As I said the other week to have a really good delivery is hugely important. I may argue that having people who are aggressive and really good in the air is the next bit and I think we’ve got two or three of them who can do that as well, which helps. I think the year before he came he had no assists and no goals so we just talked about the development of all the players and how the characters have grown and Aaron Cresswell has been really important just for that. I’m sure he’s realising as well he’s developing and getting better, even at the ages he is that he is becoming a really important player for us.
Another goal from Antonio six league goals so far this season he looks like he can score 15 goals based on his current form.
Well, I hope he does because we need our forwards. We want the forward boys to come up with goals and we know we rely on Mic a lot but with the form of Jarrod Bowen recently and Said, how well he has adapted to the Premier League., Pablo as well. And we will have Niki Vlasic coming in shortly as well and the likes of Yarmolenko as well we need them all to contribute to the goal tally but while the centre halves can help out as well that’s good. But all credit to Mic today getting another goal being Johnny on the spot is a great thing.
Does today’s win show that last season was not a one-off and you are capable of doing that again?
I’m pleased with today’s win because there was a resilience to the team. I think our football has been so good, some of our football this season has been so good. Today it was slightly different, but it was still good, and it was resilient, and there were still remnants of how you have to defend well if you don’t always have the ball and what you need to be and we showed that today.
