TV Pundit Paul Merson Blasts West Ham Boss David Moyes for Public Player Comments

TV pundit Paul Merson has criticised the way David Moyes publicly called out his West Ham players after his first match in charge against Watford last weekend.

The Hammers were poor in their first performance under the Scot's management, and fell to a 2-0 defeat at Vicarage Road to leave them in 18th.

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Goals from Will Hughes and star performer Richarlison lifted the Hornets into eighth in the Premier League table, with West Ham supporters left to ask questions yet again of where it all went wrong for their team.

Moyes went on the defensive after the game, and said he was 'disappointed with big name players and their reputations', but that hasn't washed with former Arsenal star Merson.

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Speaking ahead of the Irons' crunch clash with Leicester at the weekend, as quoted by Sky Sports, he blasted: "West Ham have to have a go, and I’m not sure about what David Moyes said about the players after the defeat at Watford. 

"He criticised some of them for their performances; you say that to the players in the dressing room, don’t come out and say it on your first day! The players won’t be happy with that, no way."

"If I were a player, I’d be thinking: 'Come on, tell us in the dressing room, don’t blame us in public'. I know it was the players’ fault, but there’s a way of doing it. That was poor in my opinion."

Hammers supporters will have been wary of Moyes' tendency to say the 'wrong' things during post-match interviews - during his time as Manchester United manager he was frequently slammed by his own supporters for his pessimistic takes on situations and inability to front up to tactical errors.