David Moyes has moved to allay Javier Hernández’s possible fear of being excluded at West Ham as he was at Manchester United – though the Mexican’s first appearance for the Hammers under Moyes could be delayed by injury.
Hernández has played more first-team football this season than he did in the whole of Moyes’s one incomplete campaign as manager of Manchester United. In 2013-14 the striker started only six league games and two of 10 matches in the Champions League, complaining at the time that: “My club don’t take me much into account.”
At the World Cup at the end of that season he appeared only as a substitute, with Mexico’s then manager, Miguel Herrera, attributing the decision to the “difficult year” Hernández had endured. Now the striker, who suffered a suspected hamstring injury during Mexico’s 3-3 draw with Belgium on Friday, finds himself working under Moyes again in a World Cup year.
“He’s a top goalscorer, a brilliant finisher,” said Moyes of the 29-year-old. “It was difficult for him at United because I had Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Shinji Kagawa, so there was lots of competition. But he’ll be treated the same here – if he’s playing well and scoring, no problems. If he’s not, it will be the same as the rest.”
Moyes, speaking before Hernández’s injury, said that he would be relying on the striker and his other senior players to keep the team organised during matches. “They need to be there to say: ‘Yeah, we know what we’re doing.’ Ultimately you organise them, do the work during the week, but then there is a responsibility. That’s why the players are paid very good wages: they can’t be looking round and saying: ‘We want the manager to tell us what to do.’ They have to have a bit of responsibility themselves.”
Moyes, who replaced Slaven Bilic on an initial six-month contract, said he is confident of bringing success to West Ham. “I don’t think it’s a bad team, a bad squad. But I can’t be bothered with any drivel. I’m going to be direct with the players. If they don’t like it, then I’m sorry. We’ve got to make sure we get through to them quickly. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, then I’ll see the East End of London for seven months, then I’ll go elsewhere.”