The Risk That Moyes Took In The Dinamo Zagreb Vs West Ham Match Will Determine The Hammers' Season

David Moyes (Twitter @westham)

JAKARTA - David Moyes led West Ham to a 2-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League on Thursday night. However, the Scottish coach took a risk that would define the Hammers' season.

West Ham enjoyed a remarkable run of form last season as they finished sixth in the Premier League. But this time will be different.

Now there is the prospect of competing in European competitions and that is one that can cause the team to become unstable. There is less time to prepare for weekend matches, players are more tired and it is harder to find a rhythm.

Big win in Zagreb 😍

Love it, lads! 💪⚒#DZGWHU #UEL pic.twitter.com/BMkcl5q8Z3

— West Ham United (@WestHam) September 16, 2021

Usually, this makes the team put European competition aside and focus entirely on the league. They play a weak team and every midweek win is just a bonus.

However, West Ham took a completely different approach. Moyes' men came out at almost full strength against Dinamo Zagreb, resting only a few attacking players. And that is a risk that could ruin their season.

🎶 DAVID MOYES' CLARET AND BLUE ARMY 🎶 pic.twitter.com/7JqRlEO0W6

— West Ham United (@WestHam) September 16, 2021

Against Dinamo, Moyes made his debut for Nikola and played Manuel Lanzini. He also changed his center-back but that is all that has changed. West Ham really went down in full force.

Tbrfootball said that this is a risk. Will the Hammers be at their best this weekend at home to Manchester United? Probably not. The match was more difficult than imagined.

And playing a strong team in the Europa League is a problem. The reason is, this competition is arguably 'lower' in quality compared to the Premier League.

But, there is also a huge potential benefit. West Ham's win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League puts them in a strong position to top the group. A few more wins like this would make things easier for Moyes.

The risk is that it is difficult for West Ham to win the match against the Red Devils. And the Hammers will have to struggle to balance their squad and catch up for the rest of the season.