Moyes backs experience to get West Ham over line in Europa Conference League
West Ham United manager David Moyes has insisted that recent European experience can help the Hammers beat Gent in their Europa League Conference quarter-final second leg tie and reach the final four of the competition.
The Londoners drew 1-1 in Belgium last week after a Danny Ings goal was cancelled out by a Hugo Cuypers equaliser.
West Ham are looking to win a trophy for the first time since the Hammers lifted the 1980 FA Cup. The East Enders won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965. Moyes led his side to the second tier Europa League semi-finals last year where they lost 3-1 to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt, who beat Rangers in the final.
Moyes backs West Ham
“We’ve been here before which will hopefully help,” Moyes said yesterday. “We hadn’t before, here at West Ham, before last season, so we didn’t know how the players would react to the games.
“There is no given right that you deserve to win or because someone sees you as favourites, you go through. You have to earn the right to go into the semi-final.
“I think we’ve certainly earned the right to be in the position we’re in and to be in this competition last year. If we want to be a semi-finalist, then we have to earn it.”
West Ham are favourites for the Europa Conference League ahead of Fiorentina and Nice.
“Isn’t it incredible that West Ham United are the favourites to win the Europa Conference League?” Moyes added.
“There are only three European competitions, and for people to think we’re worthy of winning one of those, it means a lot.”
This year’s final will be held in Prague’s Fortuna Arena with the winner earning a spot in the Europa League.