Is David Moyes sending a message to West Ham’s owners with infuriating team selection?

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West Ham United fans have been left perplexed and infuriated by David Moyes’s team selection and tactics of late.

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The Scot had looked to have won over his doubters by leading West Ham to their best start for five years.

But that good work is being quickly undone in the eyes of many who have been frustrated by the manager’s decisions in recent games.

The Hammers have struggled in their last three games, failing to beat Crystal Palace – who have since conceded 10 goals without reply in two games – at home, losing 3-0 at Chelsea and then drawing 2-2 with Brighton at the London Stadium.

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Much of the blame has been put firmly at the door of Moyes.

Many West Ham fans have criticised his decision to start captain Mark Noble in the last two games.

And his refusal to give Said Benrahma a chance is irritating supporters.

His failure to get a tune out of Sebastien Haller also divides fans.

Moyes has bemoaned injuries to Michail Antonio and Arthur Masuaku. But West Ham have actually been lucky on the injury front for a change.

And if just two injuries completely weakens your team then you know you have problems.

With his 18-month contract up in the summer many expected Moyes to be retained longer term to continue his West Ham rebuild.

Is Moyes sending a message to Sullivan and Gold ahead of January transfer window?

Now some West Ham fans are voicing concerns that Moyes is not the man to take the club forward after his negative tactics of recent games.

But is there more to Moyes’s team selection than meets the eye?

It was clear for all to see that West Ham needed another central midfielder, a left-back and a striker in the summer.

West Ham’s lack of depth in two of those areas has been exposed so far this season.

Now stop for a moment and contemplate an injury to Declan Rice or Tomas Soucek – or heaven forbid both.

It would leave West Ham with ageing captain Mark Noble alongside possibly even Robert Snodgrass in central midfield.

So, with the glut of games in close proximity over the festive period, is Moyes sending a message to David Sullivan and David Gold over his lack of options ahead of the January window?

For many it can be the only explanation for starting Noble twice in games where West Ham could and should have gone for the jugular.

Is Moyes effectively saying ‘this is what I’m left with’ to the owners in the hope it will convince them to sign another striker and midfielder?

Claims from West Ham insiders Claret & Hugh – who have direct links to Sullivan and Gold – don’t bode well.

Insiders claim no business but ‘fan’ owners must show some ambition like Prem rivals

Claret & Hugh claim there will be no activity in January after Tier 4 restrictions put paid to the prospect of fans attending games anytime soon.

While West Ham were pleading poverty in the summer, Premier League clubs spent over £1billion on new signings.

West Ham accounted for about £28.5million of that including Tomas Soucek’s permanent transfer (£18m), Said Benrahma’s loan fee (£5m) and Vladimir Coufal’s arrival (£5.5m).

Money from the sales of the likes of Grady Diangana, Josh Cullen, Jordan Hugill and Albian Ajeti offset much of that.

But there is an obligation for West Ham to sign Benrahma for around £25m at the end of the season if he passes a second medical.

For West Ham to sign players in January it is going to take a bit of ambition from the club’s owners.

And after all that is what West Ham fans signed up for when they agreed to leave their beloved Upton Park for the London Stadium.

Yes the financial landscape is not great for football right now.

But the TV money is still pouring in (The Mirror). And other Premier League clubs have been spending. So it is churlish to suggest West Ham are somehow uniquely affected by a GLOBAL pandemic.

And if Sullivan and Gold truly are West Ham fans – as they so often claim – then surely they cannot just sit back and watch a hugely promising season peter out into mid-table mediocrity?

I guess Moyes and the rest of us will find out soon enough as the window opens in three days.

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