West Ham United manager David Moyes has attributed his team’s dismal away performances this season to the departure of Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal last summer for a record £105 million fee. 
Following the 5-0 thrashing at Chelsea on Sunday, Moyes admitted the significance of Rice’s absence, citing the midfielder’s ability to protect and limit opponent attacks as a crucial factor in West Ham’s poor defensive record, Footballrover reports.
Recall that Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, and Noni Madueke gave Chelsea a three-goal lead at the interval, then Nicolas Jackson doubled that lead for Chelsea after a terrible first-half performance by West Ham.
The defeat at Stamford Bridge marked the sixth time West Ham have conceded four or more goals on the road this season, with the team struggling to fill the void left by Rice’s departure.
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Moyes lamented the lack of protection in front of the back four and inadequate defending, which has resulted in a staggering 70 goals conceded in the Premier League so far.
“Declan Rice” was the response from Moyes when asked why West Ham is having trouble this season.
He strongly believes that the presence of the Arsenal star as a top midfielder would have provided crucial defensive protection.
“We’ve lacked protection in front of the back four, lacked good enough defending, not been good enough at those things in many games,” he lamented
On the other end, Declan Rice has been a key figure in Arsenal’s title push. The 24-year-old English midfielder has contributed well over seven goals and eight assists to the title mission for the Gunners.
While Moyes acknowledged the impact of Rice’s absence, he refused to comment on speculation surrounding his own job security, stating that he will discuss his future with the board at the end of the season.
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