Coach David Moyes hopes Jesse Lingard can bring a winning mentality to the club as West Ham look to continue their impressive form.
Lingard scored twice on his debut after joining the Hammers on loan from Manchester United, where Moyes had an unhappy stint as manager after Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.
The England international was ineligible for the FA Cup tie against United on Tuesday. However, he will be back in the squad for Monday’s Premier League game against Sheffield United.
When asked if Lingard brought a winning mentality to Old Trafford, Moyes said: “I mean my time at Everton when I brought in Phil Neville and Tim Howard.
“Phil Neville was great for his mindset and what he brought in, he really gave us another advantage. He as a player also gave us something else. I hope Jesse does the same.
“He’s only here for the short term, but I’ve already spoken to Sir Alex, who asked me to do my best for Jesse; He mentioned that he was thinking about him because Sir Alex had him as a kid at Old Trafford.
“It shows the interest Sir Alex has in all the young players he had. All of his teams and all of his clubs shows great interest in them and he’s glad Jesse is off to a good start. “
West Ham they are one of the surprise packages of the season after finishing just five points above the relegation zone the previous season with 39 points from 38 games.
The players have been brilliant
They’ve already matched that point tally to sit just outside the Champions League venues and, if outsiders have been surprised by their success, Moyes always maintained his self-confidence.
“West Ham as a football club and the group of players have been extraordinary,” he added. “The players have been brilliant in everything they have done.
“As for me, it has surprised me a bit because I have said many times that most of the teams in my career have tended to lead at the top of the league, not at the bottom of the league. So it’s just a little bit in recent jobs where I’ve been asked to do that.
“But I hope the future is that we manage West Ham at the top of the league.
“I’ve been in this situation before. I have tried to explain how you can have a good season and then a bad one. That happened in the beginning, but we need to get to a level of stability with his team.
“We have the best improvement in total points since this time last season than any other team and it is possibly too big a peak. At some point on the line we have to achieve consistency for our level. I hope it is the level we are at now.
“The players in the dressing room know exactly what I want and what I expect. But that’s for the dressing room and not for anyone else. “
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