David Moyes knows a tough test awaits West Ham United at Turf Moor this weekend.
While Saturday’s hosts, Burnley, are bottom of the Premier League after 12 matches played, the Hammers manager has too much experience under his belt to anticipate anything other than another challenging top flight fixture.
With the trip to Burnley being the first match in a ten-game run for the Irons between Saturday and the end of 2023, the opportunity to rest both body and soul in the November international break was an important one for Moyes, his staff and squad.
Now fully back in the hectic schedule that comes with competing in the Premier League, UEFA Europa League group stages and the latter rounds of the Carabao Cup, Moyes is eager for his team to progress on all fronts. The festive results often shape a team’s entire season, and the boss hopes for West Ham to find their best form in the coming games.
Not that Vincent Kompany’s Clarets will make it easy for the visitors. Moyes knows the stresses of a battle against relegation and has sympathy for his opposite number. But those feelings will not stop him and West Ham putting in 100 per cent in a bid to claim another essential three Premier League points...
Finding a balance
We’ve scored quite a few goals so far this season. We’re trying to play slightly more open and perhaps in turn that has caused us to concede more goals, which I’m really disappointed about. But that is the balance you have to find. You want to bring in more attacking players but without conceding more. It’s something we need to focus on and do a better job defensively.
Burnley and their Belgian boss
I think Burnley has always been a challenging opponent. I’ve managed a lot against them throughout the years and it has always been a tough place to go. They have a different style now and I think Vincent Kompany has done well to get them up in the Premier League and playing the way they are. It’s another incredibly tough game for us.
I’m sure Vincent has got some incredible people, who he has worked with, who are giving him really good advice. But I admired him as a player. I watched him when he played for Belgium and when he was a young player in Germany before coming to the Premier League. He’s had a great career and a great start to his managerial career as well.
Achieving promotion and staying up
It’s been a hard start for Burnley but teams like Fulham and Nottingham Forest came up and I think last season was one of the hardest years in the Premier League I’ve ever known in terms of the competition. You only have to look at the quality of the teams that got relegated, in the likes of Leicester City and Leeds United, to see how good the Premier League is.
I think the teams coming out of the Championship, in the main, have done a really good job. Obviously there will be years when it doesn’t quite follow that. But I remember the year I was at Preston North End when Bolton Wanderers, Fulham and Blackburn Rovers got promoted and were in the Premier League for a long time. This season is looking tougher for the promoted teams, though.
It’s incredibly tough, battling against relegation. It’s a difficult job to do. There’s a lot of stress and worry with it because you’re desperate to get away from the bottom end of the table. It’s not something I’ve ever enjoyed and not something I’d ever want to experience again as a manager if I can help it.
A challenging schedule
With the schedule we have coming up, it’s going to be a really difficult thing to manage. It’s difficult to answer how we will do it, and I wish someone would take a look at it because that might help us.
We’re thrilled to be involved in European football and we want to challenge in the Premier League and try to have good runs in the cup competitions. If you want to do all that then it’s a punishing schedule. We’ll go with it, take every game as it comes, and do as well as we can.
Everton’s points deduction
I’m really disappointed for Everton. I think Sean Dyche has been doing a brilliant job and the club had just been beginning to stabilise and steady themselves. I think there have been stories going around for a while and it sounds like it was something that the Premier League felt they needed to get involved in.
Of course, there are rules and we all have to abide by rules in every walk of life. It’s no different for football clubs. But I think Everton, with the way they’ve been playing, are still in with a great chance of being a Premier League club next season.
Overall, I’m disappointed for Everton because they are my old club and we had some brilliant years. I had eleven years there as manager where we didn’t have a lot to spend but we fought hard to be in Europe most years. I hope Everton bounce back and one thing I do know is their fanbase will rally and show their support for the club.
