West Ham boss David Moyes defends Mark Noble penalty decision in Man United defeat

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Jack Rosser @JackRosser_19 September 2021

David Moyes has defended his decision to send Mark Noble on to take a 93rd-minute penalty in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, after the West Hm captain saw his spot-kick saved by David de Gea.

The Hammers were given the chance for a late leveller following Jesse Lingard’s 89th minute strike to put the visitors ahead and Noble was summoned from the bench to step up.

West Ham had missed three of their last four penalties before today. Noble was not on the pitch for any of those and had not missed from the spot for almost five years. It had been even longer since De Gea had saved one, conceding all of the past 40 he had faced.

Declan Rice was ready to take the penalty in his place before the Hammers skipper was sent on cold for his only touch of the game. De Gea saved and the golden chance to rescue a point evaporated.

“Do I regret it? Not at all because Mark Noble is one of the best penalty kick takers we’ve got,” said Moyes.

“We had time to think about it, time to make that choice. [It was] my choice, my decision. That is what happens in management, you have to make big decisions. Sometimes they go and sometimes they don’t. Maybe the job is for some people and not for others, that is why you have to take the decisions.

“We had a really good penalty kick taker sitting on the bench, I think I would have been more disappointed in myself if I hadn’t made the decision.

“Because of his record I thought he was the one who would be most suited to taking it.”

The miss means the Hammers have now failed to score four of their last five penalties, each miss by a different player, a flaw Moyes is more than aware of.

“I am concerned,” said Moyes. “We just don’t necessarily have someone who is a natural penalty taker.”

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