Manager David Moyes expressed his regret to West Ham fans following a devastating 5-0 defeat to Chelsea.
This loss, coupled with conceding five goals in their previous away game against Crystal Palace on April 21, has nearly dashed any hopes of West Ham qualifying for European competition for a fourth consecutive season.
Their recent form has been poor, with only one win in their last eight Premier League matches, including four losses, although they managed a draw against Liverpool in their most recent game.
“The fans have been great but I feel bad for them,” Moyes told Sky Sports.
“I don’t normally have teams who get beaten like this but we are lacking some ingredients – mental toughness and leadership to get better results, or at least not get hammered.
“The fans played their part and I can only say I’m really sorry for how it played out.”
This season continues to be challenging for David Moyes, whose tenure at West Ham may be nearing an end, especially after the club recently engaged in discussions with former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui.
Moyes, 61, is in his second spell at West Ham, having returned in December 2019. His time has generally been beneficial for the club, leading them to the Europa League semi-finals in the 2021-22 season and securing the Europa Conference League trophy in 2022-23, which marked the club’s first major trophy in 43 years.
However, with the current season losing momentum and growing dissatisfaction among supporters, Moyes’s position seems increasingly precarious.
Defensively, the team has struggled significantly, conceding 70 goals this season, a figure surpassed only by the bottom three clubs: Burnley (74), Luton (78), and Sheffield United, highlighting the scale of their defensive woes.
“We’ve had too many games this season where we haven’t shown any toughness, togetherness, leadership, or taken ownership of the performance,” Moyes said.
“I’m the manager so I take ownership of that but sometimes the players have to take responsibility as well.”