Alan Shearer has delivered a brilliant assessment of the way West Ham beat Arsenal which suggests progress in the style of play.
‘Careful what you wish for’ – a phrase aimed at West Ham ad nauseum when it comes to former boss David Moyes.
Now West Ham’s most successful manager of modern times is flying back at Everton, that has turned to ‘I told you so’.
In reality, telling Hammers fans – or any football supporters for that matter – to be careful what they wish for is a reductive argument.
Why can Spurs, Newcastle, Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth, Palace and others want and expect a certain brand of football but West Ham can’t?
West Ham’s history and traditions forged under the great Ron Greenwood and John Lyall mean the east Londoners have the right to want to be entertained more than most.
Moyes did an absolutely superb job in east London.
And it should be noted that not all West Ham fans wanted to go in a different direction from the Scot.
For most, though, his risk averse, low-block, defensive, counter-attacking style had passed its sell-by date.
Shearer says West Ham win over Arsenal signals progress beyond Moyes’ style
Especially as it had become something of a busted flush for most of his last 18 months at the Hammers helm, in the Premier League at least.
Even Everton fans and journalists have been goading West Ham as they move up the league under Moyes.
One of those most critical of the Hammers for parting ways with Moyes was Alan Shearer.
The Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer has worked with Moyes for the BBC in the past and felt West Ham were making a mistake.
He was one of those warning West Ham to ‘be careful what you wish for’. But he has now performed something of a U-turn.
While many West Ham supporters wanted a more modern, progressive and front-footed approach, they did not want Julen Lopetegui as Moyes’ replacement.
That is on the owners of course.
And they are paying the price with a wasted season after the Spaniard became the shortest-serving permanent manager in West Ham’s 130-history.
Shearer warned Hammers to ‘be careful what you wish for’
Graham Potter has come in.
After 20 months out of the game, there were some doubts over that appointment too.
Especially after worryingly bad performances in defeats to Palace and Brentford as Potter made it just one win from his first six games.
Overall, though, West Ham fans feel there has been a clear improvement in the football their team is playing under the ex Chelsea boss.
It seems Match of the Day’s leading pundit agrees after the 1-0 victory over the Gunners.
And Shearer says West Ham’s win over Arsenal signals progress beyond Moyes’ style.
While Shearer did not mention Moyes by name, he went into detail to highlight how the way West Ham played in their latest win at the Emirates differed to past “shocks”.
Potter’s ‘sensational’ West Ham did things differently says Shearer
Because he says while West Ham dug in when they had to, this was not a parking of the bus or backs-to-the-wall win with the Hammers riding their luck.
Gary Lineker said West Ham were ‘outstanding’ as Jarrod Bowen gave the Hammers a deserved 1-0 triumph.
He added Potter was ‘finally weaving his magic’.
“Certainly not Arsenal’s best day but we must give West Ham a lot of credit, they were outstanding,” Lineker said on Match of the Day.
“They were absolutely sensational West Ham from start to finish,” Shearer said.
“Everything they did, they were disciplined, they were organised – both defensively and going forward – and every single player put a shift in.
“It wasn’t backs to the wall stuff, they played in the right way. They hit them on the break when they could do because they had the pace of (Aaron) Wan-Bissaka, Bowen and (Mohammed) Kudus.
“Not for the first time Wan-Bissaka got down that right hand side, look at the men they actually get forward and commit forward.
“Yes when they had to defend and get men behind the ball they did that. The will to fight, he will to defend, the will to get in front of balls (was there).
“They got rid of it when they had to and had no problem kicking it long when you’ve got to do that.
“Everyone put a shift in and they were so unlucky not to get on the end of that (Cresswell cross to Bowen) for a second. They deserved their clean sheet.
“And when Kudus had to do his bit, keep hold of the ball (holding off Gabriel) late on in the game, bringing people into the game, they did that as well.
“It was a really really important win. First clean sheet under Potter and it was deserved.”
Credit where it is due to Shearer for saying it as it is.
Lineker, Shearer and Danny Murphy all agreed that the sending off of Myles Lewis-Skelly was correct.
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