David Moyes nibbles back at Declan Rice with bold West Ham claim after his departure to Arsenal
Hammers boss David Moyes has nibbled back at Declan Rice with a bold West Ham claim after his departure to Arsenal.
If we’re all honest with one another, there was never any great rivalry between West Ham and Arsenal.
But it is fair to say there is no love lost between the two clubs following Declan Rice’s big money move from the Hammers to the Gunners.
Some supporters have been disappointed by comments from Rice since he left West Ham for Arsenal.
The midfielder delivered a damning indictment of David Moyes with a brutally honest assessment of his switch from Arsenal to West Ham after walking through the door at the Emirates.
Rice has – perhaps inadvertently – painted Moyes as something of a football dinosaur with comments since joining Arsenal
He has raved about how much better the training and football is and says the Arsenal way under his new boss Mikel Arteta is another world to the West Ham way under Moyes. Rice says he ‘already sees football in a completely different way’.
One more than one occasion too. And whether intentional or not, it has painted Moyes as something of a football dinosaur.
Moyes has not responded directly to those comments. But he has been working with new technical director Tim Steidten to try and ensure West Ham spend the Rice money they received from Arsenal in the best way possible.
Domino’s Pizza and the like mocked Moyes and West Ham for their inability to sign players in the immediate aftermath of Rice’s sale to Arsenal.
David Moyes nibbles back at Declan Rice with bold West Ham claim after his departure to Arsenal
It may have taken some time, but West Ham fans have been impressed with the acquisitions of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse as Rice’s replacements.
The Hammers have also signed ex Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos and are closing on Ajax star Mohammed Kudus with the Rice funds.
Now Moyes has nibbled back at Rice with a bold West Ham claim after his departure to Arsenal.
In separate interviews with The Daily Mail and Sky Sports, Moyes did praise his former captain.
But he insists he feels West Ham’s midfield and team will be stronger following his post Rice rebuild.
‘We’ve brought in some really good players’
“Could be, I do think that (our midfield will be better),” Moyes said.
“We’ve tried to get players in who could do certain jobs for us and do well. Dec was a super player, and if we can get anywhere close to being that level with Declan then we’ll have done a good job in that recruitment department.”
In a separate interview with Vicky Gomershall for Sky Sports, Moyes doubled down on that claim.
“I don’t think we feel weaker, I actually feel we’re stronger because of what’s happened but obviously now we need to (continue to) strengthen.
“Obviously changes happen at every club and we’re no different from anybody else…
“We’ve brought in some really good players who I think will help us and add to what we’ve got. And I’m hoping that we can do that with another couple before the window closes.
“Look we miss him, we miss him because Dec’s a great boy, forget about him being a great player he was a great boy and we’ll miss him, he was someone we liked having and the club liked having as well. But look that time has gone now and we have to look to the next ones and the next group of players to perform well.”
