West Ham’s 2-1 loss to Olympiacos in the Europa League has raised several concerns, with the most significant being the apparent lack of motivation within the team.
David Moyes‘ decision to reshuffle the starting line-up sent a clear message to both players and fans: the midweek fixture would take a back seat to the upcoming Premier League clash against Everton on Sunday. Whilst there’s nothing inherently wrong with prioritising, especially given West Ham’s strong early-season performance in European competition. One would have expected the substitute players to display a strong intent and a desire to prove themselves worthy of regular inclusion in the team.
Regrettably, the team appeared severely lacking in motivation and intensity throughout most of the match. The late surge of activity in the game’s final moments hinted at the reserves of energy, but it also underscored the lack of effort exerted during the first 80 minutes.
David Moyes now faces some challenging decisions regarding team selection over the next two weeks. While the players share some responsibility for their performance, it’s evident that any motivational efforts by the manager, perhaps in a halftime speech, had little impact. So insipid was the response in the second 45 minutes, one could be forgiven for thinking the half-time cuppa had been replaced with a bedtime Horlicks.
It’s essential to note that the result against Olympiacos is not a fatal blow, and we still have the potential to top our Europa League group. However, if the players continue to deliver displays like the one we witnessed, it’s reasonable to expect serious questions to be raised.
