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The first of many Of these no doubt but anyway ! ⚒️⚒️⚒️
West Ham season review 2021-22: Broken hearts after Euro run and Noble departure but lots of positives
In David Moyes’ first press conference back as manager in December 2019, he spoke passionately about what the club is capable of achieving. Fast forward to 2022 and he has shown signs of unlocking the club’s “untapped potential”.
West Ham reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, Jarrod Bowen received his first senior England call-up, the London Stadium belatedly felt like home and the club sealed back-to-back European qualification for the first time.
It has been a memorable nine months. Although it came to a disappointing end, there are reasons to be optimistic for the future.
How do you sum up the season?
*Inserts sad face emoji*
Have you ever seen a 100-metre race where one particular sprinter is fast out of the blocks, but slowly loses momentum and has an underwhelming finish? Well, that was West Ham this season.
It has been a great campaign but also a missed opportunity.
They were third in the league at one point and in the mix for a Champions League place. But failure to invest in January came back to haunt the club. The lack of rotation meant most players ran out of steam, which led to a seventh-place finish and a disappointing exit from the Europa League. The future is bright with David Moyes at the helm, but in the short term, it is vital the club get this summer right.
Best moment of the year?
The last-16 Europa League win over Sevilla will live long in the memory. Karren Brady danced along to “Sweet Caroline”, Mark Noble was in tears, Moyes and Declan Rice embraced in the middle of the pitch, some supporters looked to the heavens in disbelief, others sang “Barcelona, we’re coming for you!” What a night. This is a worthy contender for the best moment of the year.
But none of this would be possible were it not for Moyes and his coaching staff. Shortly after West Ham’s win over Lyon, Moyes shared a lovely moment with the fans, as shown in the video below. After challenging managerial spells at Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland, he has rediscovered his mojo. Moyes knows he’s appreciated by supporters and the warm reception he received in Lyon is something he will never forget.
Worst moment of the year?
It seems like Eintracht Frankfurt will feature a lot in this season review.
The Europa League semi-final second-leg defeat to the German side was tough to take, especially considering they beat Rangers in the final.
The players were one game away from changing the club’s trajectory. The turning point was Aaron Cresswell’s dismissal in the first half and Moyes’ side never recovered. The feeling of “what if?” still lingers.
Funniest moment?
Honourable mention to Michail Antonio for celebrating with a cardboard cut-out of himself when he broke Paolo Di Canio’s record to become West Ham’s all-time scorer in the Premier League. That ranks second in the LOL moment of the season.
The winner is Declan Rice.
Following the final home game of the season against Manchester City, the players applauded supporters and many were with their families. One of the highlights was Rice nutmegging and slide-tackling his nephew.
Biggest surprise of the year?
West Ham reaching a semi-final of the Europa League.
The prevailing view before the tie against Sevilla was that it had been an enjoyable experience thus far, and there would be no shame in losing a club who had won the competition four times since 2013-14. But Moyes’ side exceeded expectations to beat the Spanish side and Lyon before suffering semi-final heartbreak.
Game of the year?
There are many to choose from. The atmosphere at the London Stadium was electric during the win over Sevilla. The six-goal thriller in the season opener against Newcastle United was memorable. A pair of 3-2 victories over Chelsea and Liverpool showed West Ham are capable of impressing against the top six.
But the 3-0 away win to Lyon was one of the most accomplished performances in Moyes’ second spell as manager. Some were in disbelief at what they were witnessing, while others were reduced to tears at just how far the club has come. Craig Dawson played his best game and before that fixture in central Lyon, there was an unofficial unveiling of “Ballon d’Orson”.
Another nice moment was Rice sprinting to the away end, while kissing the badge, after scoring from outside the box.
Quote of the season?
Although the defeat to Frankfurt was a bad day at the office, it led to two memorable quotes from Moyes and Vladimir Coufal. The home fans invaded the pitch at full-time and many of the West Ham players were unable to applaud supporters in the away end. But this didn’t apply to Coufal. Nothing fazes the right-back and he made that clear after the match.
“I wasn’t scared (about the pitch invasion). If a fan attacks me it would be their problem, not mine.”
Moyes was sent off for kicking the ball angrily at a ball boy. He apologised and frustration got the better of him. But he also provided one of the quotes of the season.
“I have to apologise for kicking the ball… but the ball boy left it short and it was nicely on the volley for me.”
Goal of the year?
Manuel Lanzini tends to score special goals.
Who could forget his long-range strike in the enthralling 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in 2020, or his dipping strike from outside the box in the 2-1 loss to Manchester City in November? A highlight reel of all of Lanzini’s goals would make for good viewing but his strike in the New Year’s Day victory against Crystal Palace is the standout. It was another reminder of his technical ability.
Piece I most enjoyed writing?
What more is there to say about Rice? He was named Hammer of the Year for the second time in his career. The England international made 48 appearances, scoring five goals and captained the team on more than 40 occasions. Yet there are some who still believe Rice is a centre-back, or, worse, overrated.
Before his 150th league appearance against Crystal Palace, I wrote an in-depth piece on his journey to becoming one of the best midfielders in the league. I spoke to some of his former team-mates and coaches to find out what set Rice apart from other academy hopefuls. It’s my personal favourite from the 2021-22
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