'Showed too much respect' - West Ham star on David Moyes's tactics ahead of Bayer Leverkusen fixture

West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse has spoken out ahead of his side’s UEFA Europa League second-leg quarter final clash against Bayer Leverkusen tomorrow, and has indicated his side need to opt for different tactics when he lights come on at the London Stadium.

The ex-Southampton man was signed for £30 million by Moyes in the summer and while the 30-year-old looked like an excellent addition to he London Stadium for the first half of the season, his form appears to have dropped off and the Irons have won just four of their last 20 games.

60-year-old former Manchester United boss David Moyes looks increasingly set to leave Stratford this summer when his contract expires and many of the fans appear unhappy with the Scotsman’s risk averse approach and philosophy. It would also appear that Ward-Prowse is also included in this group.

In just over 24 hours, the Irons will be taking on a side that have just won the Bundesliga for the first time in their history and are enjoying a completely unbeaten season across all competitions. West Ham, on the other hand, recently suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Fulham and will be facing Xabi Alonso’s squad without the suspended pair of Lucas Paqueta and Emerson Palmieri while Jarrod Bowen and Konstantinos Mavropanos remain injury doubts.

Speaking on the club’s website, the ex-Saints midfielder said the tactics his side showed Leverkusen far too much respect and he believes the club need to focus on how they can hurt their opponents rather than wait to react.

“It’s not hard to get yourself up for a European quarter-final” Ward-Prowse said, “so we just need to utilise the time we’ve got, take what we can from the Fulham game, and do what we need to do to come back stronger. We all know Leverkusen are a good team, but personally I think we showed them a bit too much respect in the first leg, and we didn’t quite pack the punch that I think we can.

“We need to go into Thursday all guns blazing, and we know the first goal is going to be crucial. We’ll have to make sure it’s us who get that goal, and we need to use the occasion and the atmosphere to our advantage. These sorts of nights are what I came to West Ham for, and it’s going to be a really special spectacle. Let’s hope we can create some more amazing memories under the lights”

West Ham will host Bayer Leverkusen tomorrow night, Thursday 18 April, with TNT Sports offering full coverage of the match.