West Ham United manager David Moyes admits it is a good thing that he does not know his best 11 this season.
The Hammers spent around £160million on eight new signings in the summer to add to and strengthen a squad who have finished sixth and seventh in the last two years in England’s top-flight.
So far, Gianluca Scamacca, Thilo Kehrer and Lucas Paqueta have quickly established themselves in the first-team, while Emerson and Maxwel Cornet have also made starts in the Premier League, with Moyes being able to rotate his squad more often this term due to the options at his disposal.
READ MORE: Every word David Moyes said on West Ham's Southampton clash, Jarrod Bowen and Thilo Kehrer
Since returning from last month’s international break, West Ham have won four matches out of four, making wholesale changes for their Europa Conference League victories over Anderlecht from the teams that beat West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Asked if has a settled best 11, Moyes said he does not and that he enjoys it, showing that he now has plenty of competition in his squad.
“I think it is good when you don’t know,” said Moyes. “You want the competition and you want players to feel that. For me to turn around and say: ‘I know my best 11’ would be naïve.
“That makes the other players think that they are not getting in the team. It is open for everyone to challenge and be a first team player. Europe is giving them a chance to do that. and even if you do pick a best 11, two or three of those may get injured.
“Its not a particularly good words to use, the ‘best 11’, because quite often in a season you need other players and you don’t get your best 11 fit all the time.”
In the Premier League this season, just 11 players have started four or more of the club’s nine games, with seven others also making starts, not including £30million summer signing Nayef Aguerd, who is yet to return from a pre-season ankle injury.
Moyes said that the best sides are often able to heavily rotate in the cup competitions but has spoken about the benefits of limiting changes, like he has done in recent seasons, with Leicester City and Chelsea benefitting from this when winning the Premier League titles in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons respectively.
“That’s good in some ways,” added Moyes. “I go back to Leicester when they won the league and I think: ‘how did they win it’ and I think they only used about 14 or 15 players. they were really consistent.
“When you go to more successful teams, they probably do that. but when you look at what we are doing, we are changing the team mainly for Europe. In the Premier League games, the changes have come through injury most of the time.”
READ NEXT:
David Moyes provides West Ham injury latest with seven concerns ahead of Southampton clash
David Moyes hints at new role for West Ham's Manuel Lanzini and lays down goalscoring challenge
Met Police issue statement after West Ham vs Anderlecht amid crowd trouble at London Stadium
Every word David Moyes said on West Ham’s Anderlecht win, crowd trouble and Jarrod Bowen
West Ham player ratings: Benrahma and Bowen goals seal Anderlecht win and Europe progression
