A memorable comment from West Ham United boss David Moyes sums up exactly where Arsenal are at right now.
That’s according to Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville when assessing how each club fared in the transfer window.
West Ham and Arsenal have wildly different fortunes over the last season or so.
West Ham finished sixth last term, just missing out on Champions League football by a single win. That was enough to secure Europa League group stage football, which kicks off after the international break.
Contrasting fortunes for West Ham and Arsenal in rare juxtaposition
In a rare juxtaposition, Arsenal meanwhile are not in Europe for the first time in decades.
And the Gunners have started the season in woeful form, losing their opening three matches to sit bottom of the fledgling Premier League.
While Moyes is riding a wave of positivity and basking in the the achievements of his team, the pressure is piling on his former star and managerial protege Mikel Arteta.
Arteta’s time with Pep Guardiola is credited with enhancing his reputation. But the man himself says Moyes is a ‘huge influence’ on his career (Sky Sports).
And the Spaniard who dazzled at the heart of Moyes’s Everton side, may need to lean on his trusted friend during what is one of the worst periods in Arsenal’s history.
Hammers have clear identity and transfer philosophy but Arsenal window raises as many questions as answers
West Ham have made more impressive additions to their squad this summer. The Hammers have a clear identity and philosophy when it comes to signing players.
Almost all of West Ham’s signings since Moyes took full control on his return to the club have been huge hits.
Now goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, his France teammate Kurt Zouma, Croatian midfield star Nikola Vlasic and Czech Republic defensive midfielder Alex Kral have been added to that.
Ironically it is something West Ham boss Moyes said about his time as Manchester United manager which Neville believes sums up exactly where Arsenal are at right now following a transfer window which raised more questions than answers.
‘The stepfather’ – Neville says memorable Moyes comment sums up where Arsenal are right now
“I’m not sure what style of play they’re (Arsenal) going for, but it’ll all come out in the next few weeks,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“Man Utd came out of a period under Sir Alex Ferguson, and it’s very difficult. Arsenal are suffering in that way too, the hangover of the Arsene Wenger era.
“You’re trying to get the club to move forward, I always think of David Moyes’s comment that you’re going into the house, and the father’s left and you’re the step-father. I think that’s starting to leave Manchester United nearly 10 years on, but there’s probably still an element of that at Arsenal.
“It’s not necessarily within the squad, sometimes it’s the non-football side that holds everything back, that feeling of not being happy in the club. There’s something not right at Arsenal, I think there’s a lack of surety at the top, you’ve got to stabilise first after the period they’ve had with Arsene Wenger.”
Seeing Arsenal’s predicament should make West Ham fans appreciate what they have at the moment under Moyes even more.
Hammers supporters will be hoping this is just the start of a new era.
Unfortunately for Arteta, the writing looks to be on the wall for the end of his very brief one.
In other news, Video shows West Ham new boy absolutely destroying Man United signing Varane.
And Club president claims West Ham have beaten Champions League club to signing.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
