Alan Shearer says David Moyes’ multiple changes to his West Ham United defensive line “made the difference” in the 1-0 win against Fulham.
After a heavy 5-1 defeat at home against Newcastle United in midweek, David Moyes made five changes to his starting 11 for the trip to Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The Hammers claimed three vital points with Harrison Reed’s first-half own goal the difference between the two sides in the Premier League fixture.
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It is a win that lifted West Ham up to 13th in the table on 30 points, but only a three point cushion keeps them away from the relegation zone with nine games still to play.
Former Newcastle United striker Shearer highlighted the three changes Moyes made to his back four against Fulham as he praised centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma for their defensive efforts.
“Five changes to the team, which three came in the back four. [Angelo] Ogbonna came in, [Aaron] Cresswell came in, [Vladimir] Coufal came in. They made the difference today,” Shearer said on BBC programme Match of the Day.
“It wasn’t about playing well for West Ham it was about getting the points they so badly needed. Positioning was superb and [Kurt] Zouma and Ogbonna, right place right time, got the distances right when balls were coming in.
“It was much better I thought, certainly defensively for West Ham. It would have been easy for them to panic after what happened in midweek when they conceded five [goals] at home.
“You could hear the noise from the crowd and there were a lot of people expecting David Moyes to lose his job but in fairness they have stuck with him and they have got the right result. They had to work hard for it. [Moyes] made the changes and it worked. Three massive points for them.”
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