David Moyes
Any team news?
Mich’s [Antonio] not here. We chose not to bring him. Apart from that, only Lukasz [Fabianski] isn’t here. You’re well aware of where we are. We’ll be strong but we know that we’ve got some big games coming up and a really busy schedule.
Are you looking ahead to the knockout stages?
Far from it. This is another game where we’re learning. We’re new in Europe. We found it difficult in Genk. This is the last away game. We were really looking forward to seeing a full crowd here because I’d heard a lot about it. I’m disappointed our supporters couldn’t come. We’ve still got work to do.
Did you see Declan singing Rice, Rice Baby on social media?
Was he? I don’t do social media at all. That’s quite a good tune. Catchy. Rice, Rice, baby. Want me to try it?
Footballers can be stage-managed, but how good to see someone like Dec being authentic?
I think that, first and foremost, I don’t do social media so maybe I’m the last person to ask about it. For me the most important thing is that Declan is a football player who prepares himself and dedicates himself to his job. I’m guessing he’s not planning to be a karaoke singer, if that’s what it is, in the future. But overall, he’s really good, a great lad to have around. I know the point you’re putting over on that, so as long as he keeps it under control, I’m happy.
Do you want to get the job done tomorrow?
I’d like to get the job done. We’ve given ourselves a really good start and because of that, we’ve got room for manoeuvre. We’d like to get top of the group if we can. We’ve got ourselves in a qualification position, it’s just whether we can top it now.
Will there be any team rotation tomorrow?
Everybody will see during the competition we’ve tried to make sure we mix the first team. We’ve got a good squad. The players have all performed really well, so we do want to use them all. We want to give opportunities. We’ve got to try to stay strong.
Is it a more difficult game being behind closed doors?
I think it is (a challenge). It was something we hoped we wouldn’t see again. I hope we’re able to deal with it. When it first happened, everybody felt awkward with the voices, the shouts, the screams around the stadium. All those things we’ve gone away from in the last six months or more.
Does Rice’s karaoke show his character?
I’ve said before, I’m probably the wrong man to ask about it, if you’re talking about social media. But I really want Declan Rice to be talked about his football. That’s what I want him to be talked about. I’ve been asked a couple of questions about social media and what’s going on with that – the truth is I’m not really that interested. I’m only interested in how he performs for us, how he trains, how he plays for England, all those things are far more important to me.
What is the thinking behind leaving Michail Antonio in England?
The same as we’ve done in most of the other games. I’ve chosen to decide when we need players. We’ve got a full week. We want to give Mic every chance of being ready and in good condition (for Manchester City). We’ll take one (game) at a time but also we’re having to think ahead and use the players as best as we can. The players we’ve used in the tournament have played really well. So we’re expecting the same from them.
Are you enjoying being in Europe?
I’m really enjoying being back in Europe. The efforts the players put in to get into this competition was incredible. We’ve played well in the games, gone up against really good teams which we don’t take for granted, but we’re still growing. There are times when we’re still learning on the job. We’re all really looking forward to it. The only disappointment is not having the crowd. The scouts who came out here to watch said the crowd were fantastic and the atmosphere in the stadium was great. I genuinely mean it – I’m disappointed the crowd isn’t here. I’m also very disappointed that we’ve got no West Ham supporters. All of the supporters, even all of my family were looking forward to come to Vienna for a few days and unfortunately, nobody’s been able to do that.
If you finish top, you go straight into last 16. Is that the aim?
The competition is really exciting at the moment. We couldn’t wait for the draw, to see who we got, and I have to say the players have taken to it really well. Everybody talks about us being one of the favourites but when you see the Champions League, I watched the games last night, looking at the teams who could finish third and drop into the Europa League, it becomes a completely different competition. I just wanted European football after Christmas time. I thought that would be progress for West Ham. I have to give credit to the whole squad but how they navigated the early games.
Does your form in Europe show the progress the club are making?
Our challenge is to try to maintain our standards from last season, try to keep the levels up. I have to say the Premier League is so difficult, so tough, the level of the teams, the quality, will make it a real challenge. But we want to challenge all the big teams now.
