David Moyes is confident his West Ham United side can kickstart a strong finish to the 2023/24 season on all fronts with a strong showing away at Newcastle United this Saturday lunchtime.
Following a two-week break due to the final round of international fixtures this campaign, the Hammers embark on a long trip north for their return to domestic action, looking to stretch their four-game unbeaten run in the league and build on home draws against Burnley and Aston Villa in their last two outings.
While serving as a boost to their own hopes of securing qualification for a fourth successive year of European competition, three points against against the Magpies would also hamper the chances of one of their rivals in such a hunt, with Eddie Howe’s men currently three spots behind seventh-placed West Ham, albeit having played one game fewer.
With their destiny somewhat in their own hands with nine games to play, Moyes' men are also still chasing success in the UEFA Europa League, and a mouth-watering quarter-final tie against German Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen is coming up next month.
An exciting few weeks lie ahead for the Irons, then, and Scotsman Moyes is in no doubt about how key building up winning momentum could be to ensuring they make the most of the opportunities they have carved out for themselves at home and abroad.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, before he and the squad travelled up to Tyneside, the manager....
An important game at Newcastle
I think it’s a really important game [at St James' Park on Saturday], as they all are now.
I think we have nine to play, I think every game’s going to be vitally important to pick us as many points as we possibly can. There are a few teams chasing in and around the European spots and we’re one of them.
We’ve had more games than Newcastle, so I can only comment on ourselves. Has it impacted us? Yeah, it has. I’m sure in some ways it’s impacted Newcastle as well.
Aiming for Europe again
It would be unbelievable for us to get four years in a row. I think the level of competition in the Premier League is so difficult every year, and trying to be in and around the top teams.
We see the quality of the top two three four teams are so good, teams regularly getting to the latter stages of the Champions League, getting to finals and winning them, so I think being in and around them and being just below that is good. We’d like to challenge them but at the moment we’ve got to be happy with where we are.
Xabi Alonso staying at Leverkusen
I know Xabi a little bit from his playing days, and from his Real Sociedad connections as well, but I don’t know him that well. He’s done a great job at Leverkusen. I didn’t know about his decision to stay there, but if it’s true he must see it as the right thing for his career. He’s at a really good club, and he’s got a fantastic chance of winning the German league there.
Mick's back, now we need his goals
I think having Michail Antonio back has given us another dimension.
It’s one that we’ve had in the past but you’ve got to remember that he’s been out since November.
Our results have been good. We’ve had some really good periods with and without Mick, but he scored a really good goal for us the other week against Aston Villa.
It’s his goals we need him to add. I think to be a team at the top of the Premier League, you need to have regulars goalscorers and goals getting scored.
Jarrod Bowen has got a great number of goals this year and has done brilliantly well recently, so we need Mick to get up amongst those numbers and score goals regularly for us.
Coufal’s crosses
First of all, I have to say we are talking about a fantastic boy and a great lad in Vladimír Coufal, when you consider what we paid to bring him in with the way he plays and his loyalty.
The way he conducts himself as a West Ham player, it’s superb, it really is, and he’s contributed in other factors like his assists for goals.
He continually works hard, he pushes himself to try and improve himself and if he can get us another four or five [assists] before the end of the season it would be fabulous.
He’s been a really good full-back and modern-day full-backs are being asked to do different jobs. Some are playing in midfield, some are building play, some are putting crosses in and Vladi is putting crosses in for us and that’s the type he is.
Your support will be vital
St James’ Park is probably one of the best in the country.
Because of the success their team have had over the past year or so, they’ve always been incredibly passionate, but I think they’re probably even more so with what they’re getting.
At West Ham, we’ve had brilliant seasons and we need the fans to really stick with us through what is a really important time of the season.
Let’s hope they’re all behind us in the coming games at London Stadium and away from home.
