David Moyes: Andy Carroll getting no fair play from refs
Carroll was singled out for criticism after catching Marvin Zeegelaar with his forearm, leaving the Watford defender with a broken nose, after just six seconds of the 2-0 defeat at Vicarage Road last weekend.
But Moyes insists his battering ram frontman is doing nothing wrong leading with his arm, and claims Carroll is more often the victim of fouls than the aggressor.
“I think it’s becoming ridiculous,” he said.
“A couple of times people climbed over Andy and fouled him. And all it was was: ‘No that’s OK, if it’s Andy it’s fine for that to go on’.
“Just before he was booked, he was scythed by two people. If it been anyone else they would have gone down and taken a free-kick. Andy didn’t.
“We are a country who want to rule out simulation. But he stays up and is hit by two people and gets zero protection.
“Every time Andy plays is everyone going to say: ‘That’s a foul’? If they do, then we’ve got to say now that if you’re six foot four you’d better go to basketball and stop being a centre-forward.
“I’m telling you, you can only jump with your arms for leverage. It’s my specialist subject. I was a centre-half. I needed to use my arms for protection.
“If we are now saying you can’t use your arms for leverage then that isn’t in the rules of football.”
Moyes confirmed he will keep faith with Carroll against Leicester tonight despite hauling him off in the second half at Watford, fearing he would be sent off instead.
The Scot will take charge at the London Stadium for the first time since he replaced Slaven Bilic as manager in desperate need of a first win to lift West Ham out of the relegation zone.
Moyes’ old-school outlook on Carroll also extends to coaxing some better performances out of players he freely admits are not living up to their reputations.
“I think players need to be told,” he added. “I’ve told the players here, if you’re not doing it, I’m going to tell you.
“I did also tell them that when I stop shouting, you know you’ve got a problem. If I stop shouting at you, you know I’ve given up on you.”
Meanwhile, Claude Puel has been encouraged by how the Leicester players have reacted to him since he became manager.
Puel replaced the popular Craig Shakespeare a month ago and the former Southampton boss is pleased with how receptive the squad has been to his methods.
His three matches in charge have seen Puel change Leicester’s formation a couple of times already, including playing Riyad Mahrez in a central role in a 4-2-3-1 line up.
The Frenchman believes the spirit within the camp bodes well for the future as he prepares his team for tonight’s trip to the London Stadium.
“I have a good feeling with the players, they listen, they work hard on the pitch and I feel their ambition,” Puel said.
It is not only on the pitch that Puel feels he has been made to feel welcome, the 56-year-old can also feel a rapport building with the club’s fans too.
“My first weeks at Leicester are very important for me,” he said. “To get to know the people and staff around the team, the people who are working for Leicester are fantastic.
“I have a good feeling with the fans also, it is fantastic to see them in the games with their support and their atmosphere. They like their players and their team.
“The chairman is the first fan of his team, I have a good feeling with all the people at the club.”
Puel, who has taken four points from his three matches in charge, has no fresh injury worries for the trip to West Ham but continues to be without Robert Huth.
