David Moyes' Euro mission

For David Moyes you sense West Ham's European campaign is unfinished business and that our manager maybe has something to prove to himself.

Moyes has a Premier League pedigree that stands up against the best, with only Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp having been in charge of more matches.

But Europe? Well the Hammers boss has only been involved in 37 matches at this level with Everton and Manchester United and just one with West Ham, which ended in victory in Zagreb on Thursday night.


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Moyes greets Damir Krznar ahead of West Ham's first Europa League tie


Now that’s not too bad compared to many, but he has some bitter sweet memories, to say the least.

Being manager of Everton, much like our recent managers, means Europe is out of reach competing against the giants of the game, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and... once.. Arsenal.

But I sense Moyes sees this campaign with West Ham as a way to build for the future like he did at Everton. In his early years there, the Toffees were a tough bunch, physical, hard tackling, hugely competitive. They put the fear of god into the top sides.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, after a customary battering at Goodison Park, said that he knew his team would struggle when he heard them discussing what they were in for on the coach to the match.

It took some while for Moyes to escape from that image, and in four seasons at the end of his Everton career, that progress from perspiration to a different level took place.

You can see that now in the way he is controlling West Ham’s progress. Graft, running, work rate were all in his mind when he came back for a second spell as manager. He has changed the squad, brought in class, quality and desire.

Everton went through the phases during those significant seasons in Europe, starting in 2005-06, they had pipped Liverpool for fourth spot and were plunged straight into a qualifying round game with Villareal.


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Moyes has flattered to deceive in Europe up to now


The euphoria of breaking into the top four was swept away, they lost both matches and looked out of their depth. A 5-2 aggregate defeat to Dinamo Bucharest in the UEFA Cup play-off round underlined the point. Europe was over before Autumn was out.

In 2007-08 they returned to the UEFA Cup different side after finishing sixth. It was a long haul, they beat Metalist in the play off and got past AZ Alkmaar, Larissa, Zenit, Nuremburg and Brann Bergen before failing in the last 16 on penalties to Fiorentina.

The next season Standard Liege put them out of the UEFA Cup and the following season they went through a qualifier and six group matches before losing in the last 32 to Sporting Lisbon. That’s 26 matches in four seasons in Europe, a roller coaster ride for manager and club.

At Manchester United he was in at the deep end and we all know now he sunk pretty badly. That one year there saw the Red Devils go out of the Champions League in the quarter finals against Bayern Munich, having won their group unbeaten, and getting past Olympiacos in the last 16.

That’s a European record of P36 W19 D6 L11. Moyes deep down knows that is not good enough. You can bet he is determined to improve on that record, and take West Ham as far as possible.

But as we evolve under Moyes, he knows too that qualification for next season in Europe is as important, if not more so, than this season’s campaign otherwise there is no progress.

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