Jones Knows Notebook: Is David Moyes the man to solve West Ham's defensive crisis? | OneFootball

English Premier League

Is it time to make the call to David Moyes?

Sky Sports' Lewis Jones - aka Jones Knows - digs deep into West Ham's simply horrific defensive numbers in 2024 and makes a case to back Manchester United to pile more misery on Julen Lopetegui next Sunday...

Is this really the West Ham way?

Somewhere in a Scottish Highlands pub on Saturday, David Moyes received a notification on his phone of Tottenham's fourth goal against West Ham. He took a sip of his whisky, leaned back in his chair and smiled.

Maybe this happened, maybe it didn't.

But there is evidence building already that the decision to replace Moyes with Julen Lopetegui wasn't a forward thinking move. Hey, they may have even gone backwards judged on their pitiful second half performance in north London, compounded by Mohamed Kudus - their best player - now being unavailable for at least three matches owing to his mega-bout of ill-discipline.

He'll be missed hugely as it's players like him and Jarrod Bowen that are relied upon to bail out their defence week-after-week. West Ham are a wretched defensive team, devoid of any cohesion and organisation.

They've changed the players. They've changed the manager. Yet it's made no difference to their woeful output.

In 2024 the Hammers have conceded 2.19 goals per game from a sample size of 27 fixtures. It's the most of any ever-present Premier League team over that period. That's relegation numbers.

It's backed up by the underlying numbers behind the terrible goals conceded record which stands at 1.92 expected goals against per 90 and only Wolves have posted worst figures in that department.

No ever-present Premier League team have faced as many shots as West Ham have (464) and they lead the way for shots on target faced too (178).

Saturday's defeat means it's now just one clean sheet in their last 26 Premier League fixtures.

Yes, Moyes must take suitable responsibility for much of this defensive farce but Lopetegui isn't blameless in all this.

There have been occasions this season where his team have simply downed tools defensively and gone missing when faced with a storm towards their goal.

Chelsea roared three goals past them inside 47 minutes, Liverpool netted five and Spurs took full advantage of a clear lack of leadership and the rudderless underbelly in the West Ham backline by scoring three goals in a whirlwind of a nine-minute spell on Saturday.

It's that type of defensive collapse that makes their next opponents Manchester United very interesting on the -1 Asian Handicap line on the Betfair Exchange if you can get anywhere north of 3.5 when the market takes shape.

Erik ten Hag's men played some of their best attacking football of his reign in the second half of the 2-1 win over Brentford with the front four of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund looking fit, firing and very confident.

They could run amok if Lopetegui, who won't have Kudus to select, doesn't fix the defensive issues.

And if he fails to find the formula, somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, a man sipping his whisky could end up answering an emergency call from David Sullivan.

Third time's a charm after all.

Recommended bets

Back Man Utd -1 on Asian Handicap vs West Ham @ anything bigger than 3.5