David Moyes may now be Everton manager, but he has now sealed West Ham legend status beyond any doubt after his powerful testimony in Lucas Paqueta’s case with the FA was revealed in full.
David Moyes has achieved a very rare feat in modern football by firmly establishing himself as a legend at two top clubs in West Ham and Everton.
The Scot has – and continues to – divide opinion among some factions of both fanbases.
But it is now indisputable that he is a Hammers legend and cementing similar status at Everton, where he is overseeing a second spell which has just as much promise as the first.
Moyes did a superb job at Everton over 10 years and is repeating his heroics after returning for a second spell following his departure from West Ham last year.
That parting of the ways has become ever more controversial the longer the Hammers continue to struggle without the Scot.
David Moyes divides opinion no more at West Ham
Knowledgeable fans and pundits know the club’s malaise started under Moyes.
Although there were green shoots of a recovery under Graham Potter last time out at Nottingham Forest.
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A large section of Irons supporters felt it was time to part ways with Moyes last year.
That was despite three back-to-back seasons in Europe, securing the club’s record ever Premier League points tally and lifting West Ham’s only major trophy of the last 45 years.
If that wasn’t enough, Moyes even selflessly credited West Ham for his OBE earlier this year.
However, it is what Moyes has done off the pitch for West Ham since becoming Everton boss that will earn him maximum respect from even his biggest Hammers critics.
Lucas Paqueta receiving one of four yellow cards which form the FA's spot-fixing case against him during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and West Ham at the Vitality Stadium on August 12, 2023
Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images
Because every word Moyes said to help Lucas Paqueta beat the FA has been revealed as the Everton boss seals West Ham legend status.
Most fans know Moyes agreed to give evidence supporting Paqueta against spot-fixing charges.
But all that was known publicly about the testimony was that it involved Moyes confirming the player had asked not to play against Bournemouth at the start of the 2023 season with a move to Man City days away.
But the true extent of the backing the Everton boss gave his former midfielder proved pivotal in helping the Brazilian beat the charge, surely sealing Moyes’ place in Hammers folklore forever.
The FA have announced their decision on a new spot-fixing case against Lucas Paqueta.
Every word David Moyes said to help Lucas Paqueta beat FA
English football’s governing body will not be appealing the verdict, which cleared the Hammers ace.
The FA has now published the full written reasons for the original verdict in a mammoth 314-page document.
The report reveals exactly what Moyes said about Paqueta in his testimony – which he gave up his time to do despite being in a new job at Everton.
And it goes far beyond what was previously outlined, clearly playing a huge part in Paqueta being absolved.
Moyes even took part of the blame for Paqueta’s bookings on his own shoulders.
David Moyes delivers instructions to Lucas Paqueta during their time together at West Ham
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
“I have rewatched the yellow card incidents closely and, based on my own footballing experience and knowledge of the player, consider them to be entirely within normal range of actions for this player,” Moyes told the independent panel at Paqueta’s hearing.
“The word I would use to describe the players playing style is maverick.
“He plays a high-risk, high-reward way and he does, therefore, have a tendency to give the ball away. Defensively, the player does not have quite the same level of ability. However, he is a physical specimen and would work extremely hard in defence, he would work hard to get back, but sometimes he could make a poor choice or be a little rash…
“When he started, we saw him purely as an attacking midfielder in the number 10 role. As time moved on, I felt that we could utilise his creative talent, as well as maximise the talents of the rest of the squad by playing him in a slightly deeper number eight role or on the left-hand side. This did, however, require him to do more defending, which was not his natural game…
Everton boss seals West Ham legend status
“By the date of the Bournemouth match, talks between West Ham and Man City were very advanced and it had become clear that the deal would likely be done. At the time, I would speak to the player on a daily basis. The player was also worried about the risk of injury and, during one of our discussions, asked me if he could be left out of the upcoming fixture.
“I don’t remember much about the exact words used or the exact date on which the conversation took place. It would have been before I picked the team, so likely 10 or 11 August 2023. I persuaded him to play on the basis that, if the game was going well or even if it was going badly and we were unlikely to recover from a two or three-goal deficit, I would substitute him early to help minimise the risk of injury.”
Discussing each of the four yellow cards, Moyes explained each one away to the panel, clearly leaving an impression on them for the final verdict.
“The first three fouls are indicative of an attacking player working hard defensively, but getting his timing or technique wrong,” Moyes said.
“For the first and second fouls, the player comes from a few yards away and is slightly late to the challenge – this indicates that he made a conscious effort to make up ground and got his timing wrong.
David Moyes celebrates by kissing the Europa Conference League trophy after West Ham beat Fiorentina 2-1 in 2023
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Selfless Moyes even took the blame for Paqueta bookings
“This was typical of the player in the slightly deeper role. The third challenge is more of a physical block. The player is obviously caught in a situation where he was not expecting to have to make a tackle, and he makes the wrong choice of tackle technique, trying to use his physicality and his hip where he might have been better to direct the attacking player away from goal, rather than trying to regain possession. There is nothing unusual or suspicious in this – it is not unexpected for the player…
“The yellow card…where the ball appears to come into contact with the player’s hand. I have a number of comments on this: First, he had a great confidence in his ability and would not shy away from a centre half in this situation.
“Secondly, from a technique / physiological perspective, it is impossible to generate any significant height in a jump without using one’s arms. A player will also elevate their arms to help manipulate their positioning (and that of the opposition) in order to gain the best chance of winning the ball. The footage shows the player using his arms in precisely this way.
“However the Bournemouth player is stronger and his body positioning pushes the player off balance. It is in that context that the ball makes contact with the player’s arm. Thirdly, I understand that The FA alleges that the player who would shortly replace him “was at the touchline and within the player’s “eyeline” and that, therefore, the player “was likely…to have been aware of his impending substitution”.
“I do not agree – I did not communicate with the player prior to the challenge in question and his focus and attention would have been on the game. I see nothing in this challenge which indicates that the player was deliberately seeking to get booked. We had a more disrupted build-up to the start of the season than usual, meaning players were half-a-yard off the pace and I was not surprised to see, a certain amount of “scrappiness” in some players, the player (Paqueta) included.”
Finishing his testimony, Moyes said Paqueta was acting completely in character and believes he would have done something very different had he intended to be booked deliberately.
“Re-watching this footage, even in the knowledge that Lucas is facing allegations about bets having been placed on him to get a yellow card, I do not see anything other than the player (Paqueta) playing like the player,” Moyes added.
“If he had deliberately tried to get booked, I would have expected to see him do something silly or out of character like show serious dissent, throw the ball away from an opposition free kick, or pull another player’s shirt in order to prevent a break, but he does not do any of those things – each yellow card is given in a dynamic tackle situation where the player is working hard to recover the ball, consistent with his style, technique, temperament and role within the team.”
David Moyes ladies and gentleman – a West Ham legend.