David Moyes is keeping his cards close to his chest as to whether he will make changes to his West Ham United team to face Everton.
Traditionally, the final game of the season was seen as an opportunity to blood youngsters or give fringe players minutes, but with up to £14million in extra Premier League prize money riding on Sunday’s game, the manager could name an unchanged side for the third game in succession.
“Possibly, possibly,” he said, when asked he is tempted to make changes to his starting XI. “I genuinely want to finish as high as I can, because I know the importance of it, but you know that if we don’t, we’ve sort of done the job with where we are. But if I can, I think it would be a good way to finish.
“If you’re looking at the squad, there’s possibly one or two who could come in, but not that many. You couldn’t turn around and say we’ve got six or seven, so I wouldn’t do that.
“I’ll make the changes if I think I need it and I may well do.”
One player who has waited patiently for an opportunity is centre forward Jordan Hugill, who has seen competition for places restrict him to just 22 minutes of Premier League football since his January switch from Preston North End.
“Jordan has been very patient,” Moyes observed. “Unfortunately, with the return of Andy Carroll, who we didn’t think was coming back until the end of the season, and Chicharito getting a few goals halfway through, it’s meant his opportunities have been limited.
“When we lost Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho, two centre forwards, we had to get something because at that time we didn’t have Andy and Chicharito had just come back from a hamstring injury, so we needed extra cover.”
Whoever he picks to face Sam Allardyce’s Blues, Moyes is expecting 100 per cent commitment from his players, with the outside chance of securing a top-ten finish, should they win and other results go the Hammers’ way.
“I would like to see the players put in the effort and the work-rate as they have done. Maybe that was questioned when we came in – their energy, their work-rate, their effort and what they were doing – so I don’t think there are any games you’d have questioned that.
“There have been games we haven’t played that well, so the big thing is that if the players finished in that manner, I don’t think there will be any complaints.
“Every game you play as a footballer is judged, so you always have to try and do your best, and I don’t genuinely don’t know any players who go out there and don’t try and play as well as they can.”