David Moyes responds to Grady Diangana effect as winger prepares for life at WBA
David Moyes has insisted that the sale of Grady Diangana to West Brom didn’t effect his West Ham side as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle.
The Hammers were easily swept aside on Saturday evening, with a number of discontent players featuring against the Magpies.
Mark Noble and Declan Rice spoke out against the sale of Diangana, and both struggled in the Premier League opener.
When asked about the new Baggies star, Moyes claimed that his players need to block out those distractions when stepping on the pitch.
“Not a thing,” he said via the Evening Standard.
“When you are a footballer and are out on the pitch, that has nothing to do with it. You concentrate on the game once you cross the white line.
“The same players who played brilliantly well at the end of last season – I was hoping to get much the same from them, but we did not.”
Diangana arrived at the Hawthorns initially on loan but made his move permanent this summer for a club-record fee.
The 22-year-old is electric on the ball, and the Baggies will be reliant on his pace and power to create chances in the final third in the Premier League.
The winger completed over two dribbles per game last season, numbers which were in fact almost one more than his closest rivals, with Matheus Pereira in second with only 1.4 dribbles per game according to WhoScored.
He makes things happen, and West Ham’s loss is certainly the Baggies gain as he enters his first full Premier League season.
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