What Kalvin Phillips gestured to West Ham fans when subbed was unnecessary as it should have been David Moyes.
It was hard not to feel sorry for Kalvin Phillips on his West Ham debut.
Eyebrows were raised in some quarters when West Ham moved to sign Phillips on loan from Man City.
Did the Hammers really need another central midfielder?
One look at the West Ham squad would suggest David Moyes had much more pressing priorities.
Yet Phillips remained the club’s only arrival as the deadline passed after he was deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester City.
What Phillips gestured when subbed was unnecessary
After 18 months of barely kicking a ball, Phillips was put straight into the West Ham starting XI.
And – perhaps understandably – he struggled.
Anyone with a football brain will understand that Kurt Zouma was actually the one to blame for the ridiculous moment which gave Bournemouth an early leg up at the London Stadium.
But of course Phillips was ultimately the one who gave the ball away for West Ham target Dominic Solanke to roll it into an empty net.
‘Phillips assists Bournemouth with his first touch for West Ham’ inevitably went the headlines last night.
It should have been Moyes apologising
The ring rust was there for all to see and we can only hope the former Leeds star can get up to match speed quickly.
What Phillips gestured to West Ham fans when subbed was unnecessary as it should have been Moyes.
When he was substituted on 69 minutes, Phillips held his hand aloft to the Hammers supporters by way of an apology for his error and performance.
It showed his class as a character and person to own the moment.
But he didn’t need to. Because, as touched on previously, it was captain Zouma who was really at fault.
Above all that, though, the manager Moyes should be the one apologising.
You don’t need the benefit of hindsight to know selecting FOUR central midfielders in the side was never going to work.
Sorry Moyes, that just won’t work
Moyes did hold his hands up and take his share of the blame after the game.
But this isn’t a one-off. The team, with the players West Ham have, should be playing a much better brand of football.
The Hammers are boring to watch with no real discernible identity and propped up by a handful of individual talents.
Phillips has always been a good, solid ball winning central midfielder with a lovely passing range. And the Man City flop will get better with each game.
But what West Ham needed was more pace and attacking talent or – heaven forbid – an actual striker.
Chucking Phillips in the team alongside three other central midfielders and expecting it all to just work was nigh on arrogant from Moyes.
It certainly shouldn’t have been Phillips saying “sorry” last night.
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