PRESSURE’S ON NEXT SEASON, ADMITS MOYES
DAVID MOYES says this is the last time his West Ham players can enjoy a pressurefree tilt at the top four.
The Hammers boss admits his side’s unexpected transformation from relegation candidates to Champions League contenders means they can enjoy the ride this season.
But Moyes (with Jesse Lingard, above) knows that success leads to greater expectations – and that will increase demands next time around.
The manager said: “I think as you grow as a club, I know from my experience at Manchester United and even at Everton in the early years, the pressure’s on because then the demands come to challenge the top teams.
“And this is why, at the moment, it feels like we have got a bit of a free hit. But it won’t be a free hit going forward, because it will be trying to do this more regularly.
“And the pressure next year will be more to say, ‘Can you do this again, David? Can you keep West Ham up in the top six or seven?’.
“So that will be the first target. And that’s where more pressure will come in the future.”
The club’s progress is summed up by the fact they face Chelsea at the London Stadium in very different circumstances than when the Blues visited at the same stage last season.
Then, a 3-2 win kickstarted West Ham’s escape from the drop, while this term the two teams are battling it out for a top-four spot (Chelsea beat the Hammers 3-0 at the Bridge in December, below).
Moyes added: “This time last year, I was looking at the league table working out whether our goal difference would be enough to keep us up, if we needed it.
“Now it’s seeing who might lose at the top of the league. Then I needed the top teams to win, now I need them to lose.
“We’re enjoying it because it wasn’t expected. When you get a chance, you want to take it. We’ll do everything we can not to miss out.”