Moyes retains board backing to guide West Ham to safety

David Moyes retains the support of the West Ham hierarchy despite the threat of relegation.

Sunday’s 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa left the Hammers outside the bottom three on goal difference alone.

But Football Mad understands there is no appetite at the club to make a managerial change and that owner David Sullivan is backing Moyes to keep them up, just as he has twice before.

Moyes, who guided West Ham to sixth and seventh-placed finishes in the previous two seasons, as well as the Europa League semi-finals last term, remains confident they can climb away from trouble.

“I hope so, that’s the plan,” said the former Everton boss. “My plan when I came here was to make sure we got a team in the top half of the league regularly.

“Sixth or seventh was great, a fantastic achievement I think in the two years. My plan was not to come back and be taking a team just outside of the bottom three or in the bottom three.

“The plan was to be much higher, but I’ve been here before at another club where you sometimes have good seasons and sometimes have a bad one.

“We’re looking at the Premier League this year and who would’ve said Arsenal would be top of the league? If you look at how well Brentford are doing and Brighton and Fulham, maybe a lot of people wouldn’t have said that either, so it can change.

“The Premier League has got a league now where you just never know what’s going to happen. If things don’t go quite right, a few injuries or you don’t start so well, you can be chasing it.

“I’m hoping that all the experience I’ve got can help in some way but ultimately, I need the players to be playing really well. I think we’ve got good players and I think the players can play better than they are showing.”

The Hammers have taken eight points from their last four home matches but their away form remains a concern, heightened by an alarming 4-0 defeat at Brighton last weekend.

On Sunday Ollie Watkins headed Villa into the lead but Said Benrahma’s penalty, after Leon Bailey fouled Lucas Paqueta, earned West Ham a point.

Watkins has scored in his last four away matches, the first Villa player to do so since Dwight Yorke in 1998.

“He’s scoring because he’s a good striker and we have to help him by trying to get him in the box,” said manager Unai Emery.

“Sometimes I’m being demanding with him. I try to improve him in the small spaces to move better and to be in the box, to be more efficient.

“His movement and his comfort with the ball, that is his improvement. He’s demanding and critical of himself. He’s listening.”