With all due respect to David Moyes, his demeanor can often seem miserable and harsh, so to admit that he has a bit of a spring in his step is really something .
“I think we’ve tried to build a stronger team [since losing Rice]. The competition within the team is good,” he was quoted as saying.
“We want to keep it strong and the players are in a confident frame of mind, which comes from winning and playing well.”
Clearly, the memories of his brilliant Europa Conference League win in Prague still make him smile.
“I have to say there is a light inside me because I know that this win means a lot,” he said.
“Now I’m happy to carry this with me. I hope we can do it again, I really do, because of the magical feeling that was there when it happened, the aftermath, what it meant for so many people in east London and especially is with West Ham supporters.
“Having the chance to win a European trophy is not something you can do every day. Last year was magical.
“To be able to have my family there… they probably went to hundreds and hundreds of games where I wasn’t happy, didn’t want to go out for drinks or dinner.
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“It’s the lows and then you get to the highs of winning and being able to have family there and be a part of it is amazing.”
After so many years of trying – and failing – to deliver silverware to one of his employers, it was great to see Moyes rush down the touchline, arms raised as Jarrod Bowen’s last-minute goal went into the net Fiorentina. His post-match celebrations and victory parade in east London showed everyone a different side of him, and if his players can assert themselves again in Europe European or domestic, we can witness a performance rehearsal on the sidelines.
