West Ham captain Declan Rice has questioned David Moyes' tactics in the wake of the Hammers' 2-0 defeat against Tottenham on Sunday.
Spurs ran out comfortable winners in a tense London derby courtesy of goals from Emmerson Royal and Son Heung-min to leave West Ham mired in the relegation zone - and heap even more pressure on Moyes.
The former Everton chief's role has been heavily scrutinised in recent weeks following a string of underwhelming results. And now Rice, who has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium in the summer, has appeared to hit out at the tactics which the Hammers deployed at the weekend.
West Ham managed just six shots in total throughout the match and struggled to lay a glove on their London rivals. And speaking after the game, Rice suggested that Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen were "a bit isolated" due to the Hammers' 5-3-2 formation.
He said: “When you play with five at the back and the three, like we set up today, maybe our strikers felt a bit isolated when we got the ball up to them — they didn’t really have enough around them, not enough support.”
As fears mount over West Ham's top-flight status, Rice continues to be linked with a blockbuster summer move. A host of clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United, are believed to be keen on pinching the Hammers captain at the end of the current campaign.
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It remains to be seen whether or not the England international will remain at his boyhood club beyond the summer. It has previously been claimed that Rice has turned down substantial contract offers, but discussions over the midfielder's long-term future are likely to be shelved in the short term as the Hammers bid to stave off relegation.
The Hammers slipped into the relegation zone before a ball had even been kicked at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Bournemouth and Everton both won on Saturday afternoon.
A dearth of goals has played a huge part in West Ham's struggles this term; only three teams in the Premier League have accrued fewer than the 19 goals the Hammers have notched so far this season. Following Rice's comments, Moyes also bemoaned his side's inability to create following another disappointing day in front of goal.
The Hammers boss, whose side are now 18th in the table, admitted: “It’s been a problem all season, we haven’t been able to create. The players have been challenged now, let’s see who’s up for the fight. I will be looking to see the players and the colour of their eyes this week. You can imagine what the colour of mine will be.”
