Former West Ham United defender Thilo Kehrer has pointed to former manager David Moyes as a key factor in his struggles during his time in the Premier League.
Kehrer joined West Ham in August 2022 for a reported fee of £10.1 million from Paris Saint-Germain, with high expectations as a versatile German international. However, he struggled to settle into the squad and failed to meet the potential many had anticipated under Moyes’ leadership.
Thilo Kehrer blames David Moyes for his failed stint at West Ham
In a recent interview with BILD, Kehrer reflected on his challenging spell with the Hammers, indirectly suggesting that Moyes’ tactical decisions played a significant role in his underwhelming performances.
Kehrer explained that although his versatility is a strength, he excels when consistently deployed in a fixed central defensive role. The constant changes to his position at West Ham, he hinted, disrupted his ability to perform at his best, leading to issues with confidence and consistency.
The 28-year-old defender also highlighted the importance of factors like self-confidence, regular playing time, and trust from the club, coach, and teammates—elements he felt were lacking during his time at West Ham.
These challenges meant that Kehrer never quite lived up to the expectations that surrounded him following his move from PSG.
He said:
“Being flexible is a strength. But for me it is very helpful to have a fixed position in the centre. That is when I am at my best.
“A number of things come together. Self-confidence, playing time, trust from the club, coach and teammates.”
Earlier in January, Kehrer moved back to Ligue 1 on loan with AS Monaco, where his fortunes quickly turned around. His performances were so strong that Monaco opted to make the move permanent, securing him on a full-time basis.
At Monaco, Kehrer has been revitalised, making seven starts across Ligue 1 and the Champions League and even scoring two goals early in the season.
David Moyes’ West Ham tenure
David Moyes faced a lot of criticism towards the end of his West Ham tenure. However, he did do a pretty decent job with the Hammers.
Brought in to initially to help the Hammers avoid relegation, Moyes not only achieved survival but also steered the team to unprecedented success in subsequent seasons.
Under his management, West Ham secured a sixth-place finish in the Premier League during the 2020-2021 season, qualifying for the Europa League, where they reached the semi-finals in 2022.
His crowning achievement came in 2023 when he led the club to victory in the UEFA Europa Conference League, ending a decades-long trophy drought.
The Hammers failed to build-up on their triumph, and ended up having a pretty poor last season, which eventually resulted in the club parting ways with David Moyes.
But such is his reputation that he is already attracting interest from Premier League clubs, namely Crystal Palace, who are eyeing him as a replacement for Oliver Glasner who is having a difficult second season. He has also been tipped to return to Goodison, a club who were a top 5 side under his reign.