BREAKING: With West Ham’s U-turn, David Moyes fully retracts his criticism of Declan Rice, an Arsenal standout.

David Moyes was able to buy three replacements with the £105 million that West Ham received in the summer when they transferred captain Declan Rice to Arsenal.

It’s been said that football fans are erratic.

And such charges have been directed at certain West Ham supporters regarding their behavior against Declan Rice following his high-profile summer transfer to Premier League rivals Arsenal.

However, people in the industry, like David Moyes, the manager of the Hammers, can be just as erratic as it appears.

I’ll take you back to the beginning of the season.

Rice gushed about how much better the football and training were at Arsenal under his new manager Mikel Arteta, whether this was just an honest appraisal or an attempt to win over his new team.

West Ham was better without Rice, according to Moyes.
After just a few weeks at the Gunners, Rice even claimed he was “already seeing football in a completely different way.”

In response, Moyes boldly declared that with the addition of Tim Steidten and him to replace Rice, West Ham’s midfield was stronger and the squad was better.

At the time, Moyes stated, “Could be, I do think that (our midfield will be better)”.

“We have made an effort to bring in players who can perform well in specific roles for us. Dec was a tremendous player, so if we can even come close to matching his level of play with Declan, then our hiring process was successful.

“I feel like we’re stronger because of what happened (in the window), not because we feel weaker.”
The boss of Hammers makes a huge Rice U-turn.

With a large portion of the Rice money, West Ham signed Mohammed Kudus, James Ward-Prowse, and Edson Alvarez.

The roles have now reversed. Given West Ham’s struggles, Moyes is under a lot of pressure.

It appears that the manager’s perspective has significantly shifted.

Because Moyes made a full U-turn at West Ham about Arsenal star Rice.

According to Moyes, West Ham is missing Rice, and it’s beginning to show in their play and outcomes in a recent interview with Sky Sports.

“We’re feeling the Rice effect,” said Moyes.
“At the moment, we are experiencing a slight impact (of losing Rice),” Moyes stated.

Declan’s form, consistency, and defensive brilliance are what we’re missing.

“Not having it has caused us to suffer a little lately.”

Moyes made a U-turn there.

And a lot of fans will find that to be a really handy justification.

Maybe Moyes is just stating the obvious. Yes, earlier in the season West Ham did appear better.

However, a large portion of the blame must fall on the manager for his inability to get his revamped midfield to play well and consistently.

As his contract expires, he is now running out of time to demonstrate his ability.