David Moyes
What chance does Michail Antonio have of being fit for Sunday?
Yeah, he has a good chance Mick because he has had a few days training but we are always careful with Mick and trying to make sure we get him right. He was close for the last game but we did not think it was worth the risk, he has had a couple of days training, he’s not been training with the group every day but he has been doing some individual work and hopefully we’ll know about more about him tomorrow.
Jarrod Bowen played in attack, is some of that adaptability providing you with new options?
I think sometimes it is part of your job as a coach, you can’t always buy somebody when you lose a player or get an injury. You have to find solutions within your squad, we have had to do it a couple of times since I have been here. I thought Jarrod played really well when he came in mid-week, it’s not as if it is strange to Jarrod because he has played as a centre-forward many times for Hull City so it wasn’t too unusual for him. But part of having a good squad and you need your squad to be flexible nowadays so people who can play two or three positions is always good. Hopefully, we don’t need to use him too much [as a striker] but if we get a few injuries we’ll have to.
The fixtures coming up look challenging, Spurs, Man City, Leeds Man Utd, and then Arsenal. If you are still in the position you are now will you have to fancy your chances of finishing in the top-four?
Who knows? When you are at West Ham you are not quite sure and I am trying to change that and I am sadly now taking it a game at a time, especially when you look at the fixture list, but I do think the next five or six games [are big]. I said the other day when we get to single-digit games to go then I can probably start looking to see what may happen. But I think with the level of opposition coming up, certainly this Sunday and going forward then it’s going to take a big job from all the players’ to get results.
On Sunday’s game, Tottenham have had a difficult spell but they rested Harry Kane and subbed Gareth Bale last night ahead of this game, was last night a reminder of the attacking threat they still carry?
Well, I have never for a minute doubted the attacking threat Tottenham have got or the qualities Tottenham have got. They are a top team and one of the best teams in the country, we know we are going to have a really hard game. We are going well ourselves at the moment but the opposition we are having to play is tough and Tottenham are one of the toughest.
The three goalscorers against Sheffield United [Declan Rice, Issa Diop, and Ryan Fredericks] all got their first goal of the season on Monday night what do you think gave them the opportunity to do so?
Quite often you need people to come up and get the goals when maybe you least expect it. Jesse Lingard had a few goals the other week, Jarrod Bowen has scored a few this season, but we needed a few goals from other areas. I think Declan getting a goal, Ryan Fredericks and Issa Diop from a header is good, spreading the goals around the team is a good thing but I also would like to have somebody who is getting 15 or 20 goals, if we could have one of them, thanks.
Jesse Lingard looks so at home already is it a testament to his character that he has connected with the team so quickly on the pitch?
I don’t think anybody doubted the ability Jesse has. I think Jesse has got to do a lot of the basics well because that will help us. We know he has got an energy to help the team as well. I think if he goes about the job as well as he has done recently then we will be happy, but I still think that Jesse can add to it as well, I think he can add bits to his game and I want him to continue to try and improve. We are not here for the Jesse Lingrad show we are here for West Ham to improve but we are certainly happy to have Jesse and he has started very well.
How will you get the team into the next gear?
We can get better in so many different aspects, we are trying to improve defensively, we are trying to improve in our attacking play. In our possession of the ball, I think we can get better and I think there is room for all those areas [to improve]. I am looking at our shots on goal, we need to get more on target, so all those things we can get better at and I am hoping to keep driving us forwards. But also in football, you need a bit of good luck as well and some good fortune and we have to get a sprinkling of that in the second half of the season.
What will you take from the 3-3 draw with Tottenham going into this game?
I think that fixture will always be a memory in my mind. As a football player or a manager to come from 3-0 down, I am sure there are plenty of people who can tell you they have done that at some point in their career, but to come from 3-0 down with ten minutes to go against Tottenham Hotspur takes some doing. So I think that for me is the sort of memory I certainly can’t remember in my career so as a football manager so I think it was a great achievement for the players. Sometimes you need a result like that t get your momentum and belief going and I am sure we took a lot of belief from coming back in that game.
After the video of Declan and Jesse, how rewarding is it to see players enjoying themselves and enjoying life at West Ham?
Well when we are in such a time in life with the pandemic and everybody is finding it difficult to find a great deal of pleasure, the best thing you can do as a football player is to come into training every day be around your teammates. We have tried to make training fun and enjoyable we want them to have a good time, and to be fair Jesse has settled in very well and Declan is always in and around things and it is good. We have a really good group of players which is a great thing to have. If you are at West Ham this is how it is going to be and you have to join I and this is the way I want it to go. We want to be serious but we also want to enjoy ourselves. It is a difficult time so when the players come to work we want them to enjoy themselves as well.
How significant would it be to beat one of the big-six clubs?
It would be really significant if we can because it would keep us pushing on from the position we are in but let’s not kid ourselves we are only new to this, we are just the new kids on the block here so we are trying to challenge and hang in. As I said earlier in the season we are trying to hang onto the coattails of those above us and then who knows how it may go, but what I will say is the players have done a great job challenging in every game. We haven’t won every game but we are certainly having a go in every game and trying to leave our mark in some period of it and thankfully is most of the games we have always had a chance.
Do you think the players are enjoying the freedom of not having to win every game?
Yes, because I don’t think at West Ham we have been in this situation for a long time, we are certainly have not been in the time I have been here so it is good. But it comes with pressure as well, it comes with people saying ‘do you think you’ll make the champions league? Do you think you can make the Europa League? Where are you going to finish?’ But it sounds a lot better people asking you those questions than when you are at the bottom because being at the bottom there are a lot of sleepless nights worrying about how you are going to pick up points. We have a different worry because we want to pick up points to stay at the top and I hope we can do that.
What is the challenge like of taking on a Jose Mourinho side?
Throughout my managerial career, especially when I came into the Premier League when Jose came he has probably been one of the hardest competitors of all. He has always been very good, very hard to play against his teams are great, his success is unparalleled by very few in world football. Whenever Jose Mourinho decides it is time to finish he will go down as one of the most winning managers of all time and that will be on record.
You have not beaten Mourinho in 15 times is that something you would like to rectify?
There is always a first time.
Could it be this time?
I hope so, but that question has probably been asked every time I have played him and I probably gave the same answer then. The truth is there is always a first time and perseverance is the key and we will try and make it happen, so let’s hope it is this time.
It would mean so much for the fans to be there to see the game between these two sides, wouldn’t it?
Yeah, I think it would. I think it is something which for West Ham supporters especially the position we are in and where we are sitting it would be a great game to be at. We would have all the support bar a few thousand maybe so it would be great to have them at the London Stadium. We are thinking about them and will try and do everything we can to get them a good positive result.
How do you prepare to play the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and Gareth Bale?
Whenever you play them it is going to be difficult because of the quality, they have a great squad of players. They can choose from several players, we saw that last night they were able to make six or seven changes and get through in quite a deep round of the Europa League. they have a very strong squad and we probably don’t have that size of squad but what we do have is a team that has played very well this season so I am hoping we can continue that.
