David Moyes issues defiant eight-word response to angry West Ham fans who demand under-fire boss is SACKED
DAVID MOYES faced yet more calls for him to be axed after his 10-man Hammers crashed to a 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
Kalvin Phillips’ second-half red card – the first of his career – sounded the death knell for Moyes’ strugglers, who were already trailing to Taiwo Awoniyi’s first-half opener.
And Callum Hudson-Odoi finished the East Enders off with a stoppage-time goal to seal Forest’s first win of the year.
Once again, disgusted West Ham fans turned their fury on Moyes, six days after many walked out midway through their 6-0 thrashing at home to Arsenal.
This time, the vast majority of travelling fans stayed to the bitter end and there were banners calling for change.
One stated: “MOYES OUT,” while four unhappy fans held up a series of placards which said: “MOYES OUT OUT OUT.”
But the defiant Scot defended his record after his side fell to their third straight defeat without scoring.
Asked if he was worried about his position, nine months after delivering a European trophy, Moyes replied: “I am pretty long in the tooth and you can never please everybody.
“It would be hard to say there have been many better times at West Ham.
“Maybe they want something different, but they would honestly have to say it has been the best times they have had at the club with regards winning a European trophy, the league positions.
“Maybe there would be managers who excite them more, possibly.
“But the one who is sitting here wins more!
“When you’ve managed the best part of 1,200 games you are going to have difficult times, unless you are very fortunate to manage one of the top teams and even that comes with problems.
“At West Ham we have had a great three years of constant growth, let’s be fair this year is growth as well.
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“We have been sixth for long parts of the season and we are trying to hang in.
“We are hurting really badly as a team – and a manager – because we have not had good results for five or six weeks now.
“But this year already we have beaten Tottenham, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, we mustn’t forget there were good times not so long ago.
“There is no divine right that West Ham don’t have a dicky period at some point in the season.”
Moyes backs Phillips
Moyes said he felt sorry for Phillips, who was red carded for the first time in his career for two yellow card offences in the space of two minutes and 56 seconds.
“The sending off was a huge blow because the game was tight and we were always in it at 1-0,” he said.
“The minute we went down to 10 men it was going to make it twice as hard.
“I thought Kalvin played much better today, he did a lot of good things.
“I hadn’t seen it coming. The crowd played a huge part in backing Nottingham Forest, with the referee, and played a part as they always do here.
“The first one the boy’s blocking him and he pushes him away because he’s trying to play the game quick, as we’re trying to get back in the game and win it.
“Nowadays you get booked for standing in front of the ball, so he shouldn’t have pushed him, I get that.
“The second one – I’ve only been told – I haven’t seen it. But they are saying the two boots are very close and they just come together.
“It looks like there was quite a meal made of it but that’s the way it is.”