West Ham United recorded an impressive come from behind victory away at Wolves, but David Moyes was far from impressed with some of his players.
Wolves took the lead in the 33rd minute through Pablo Sarabia’s penalty. But West Ham struck back with a spot kick themselves in the 73rd minute from Lucas Paqueta. And James Ward-Prowse would later complete the comeback for the Hammers in the final ten minutes.
David Moyes expressed satisfaction with his substitutes’ contributions but cautioned that the starting players who remained on the field weren’t immune to criticism.
David Moyes on West Ham United’s performance against Wolves
Speaking to the club’s website, Moyes stated: “If the players in the team think they’re there and that’s them then well, they’re not. If they don’t play well then they’ll not be playing.
“They need to play well and they need to have their standards high and certainly in the second half things got a bit better.”
His discontent with the team’s overall performance at Molineux is understandable, despite the uplifting nature of their comeback win. The Hammers’ lackluster first-half display allowed Wolves to control the game, showcasing shaky defence and minimal attacking prowess.
However, West Ham showed their powers of recovery to claim all three points on the road. The victory puts Moyes’ side one point behind sixth place Manchester United, with the Red Devils having a game in hand over the Hammers.
Nevertheless, they’ll be eyeing that sixth place finish as well as a strong finish to their UEFA Europa League campaign. West Ham have a two-legged quarter-final tie against Bayer Leverkusen on the horizon.