David Moyes continues his search for an insomnia cure as West Ham’s torturously tepid tempo has fans jeering again.
This weekend West Ham legend Frank McAvennie called out fellow Scot David Moyes over his side’s performances.
From the outside looking in the criticism would have seemed extremely harsh given it came off the back of four consecutive West Ham wins in all competitions.
But for many Hammers fans, former hero goalscorer McAvennie was spot on as he labelled recent performances unacceptable and said Moyes was getting away with it as West Ham managed to nick winners in each.
Are you not entertained?
Well the winner never came against a massively under strength Crystal Palace side missing their five best players on Sunday.
Once more it was the performance that was the most concerning element.
Moyes continues his search for an insomnia cure as West Ham’s torturously tepid tempo has fans jeering again.
West Ham were booed off by a large section of fans who had made an arduous journey to the London Stadium in miserable weather amid yet more rail strikes.
When over 60,000 West Ham fans go to that kind of effort to watch their team they want to be entertained.
West Ham’s torturously tepid tempo
But West Ham have no real discernable style of play or identity. And instead of going for the kill when 1-0 up against a weakened Palace, they once again allowed the opposition into the game.
Yes it was an individual error which Moyes can do little about. But it all stems from West Ham’s slow, ponderous passing which has blighted this team for far too long.
There are no clear patterns of play going forward. The tactics at the moment seem to be ‘give it to Mohammed Kudus or Lucas Paqueta and hope for the best’.
The Hammers are also developing a maddening habit of going long when they have the diminutive Jarrod Bowen up front.
And don’t even get West Ham fans started on Moyes’ substitutions – or lack of them.
Bored to jeers
Wins will always mask poor performances. But there’s no hiding place when turgid football is not accompanied by three points – especially at home against seriously makeshift and mediocre opposition.
With the players Moyes has at his disposal, watching West Ham should be exciting and fans should be full of anticipation most weeks.
But the manager is failing to get any kind of cohesion in a team far too reliant on individuals and set pieces.
As a result watching West Ham for the most part is like watching paint dry. The counter attack style Moyes reverted to at the start of the season was quickly found out and nullified. Now we are stuck in this halfway house of half-hearted pressing and a passing tempo resembling a pre-season match.
If Moyes is serious about earning a contract extension his body of work in east London would justify – he simply must get this team playing a quicker, slicker and altogether more attacking brand of front-footed football.
And while booing your own team is never helpful – it shows how important entertainment value is to bored West Ham fans despite going five unbeaten.