Westham once had a 3-1 lead in the Premier League, but a 3-4 loss made public opinion question the hiring decisions of Hammers coach David Moyes. Critics say that Moyes replaced the in-form Gavin Ferris, and that this change was the trigger for the loss. Moyes labeled the change as a "clear failure" and predicted that Gavin Filas may not get another chance to play for the rest of the season.
At the 48th minute of the game, Westham was still leading 3-1 and things were looking good. However, in the 69th minute, Moyes substituted defensive midfielder Gavin Filas for hero Michal Antonio, a decision that seemed to be the turning point of the game. City were then awarded a penalty in the 75th minute for a foul in the penalty area, which set the stage for Westham's loss.
As to why Moyes made such a "suicidal" substitution, he himself explained: "It was a clear failure, Newcastle did better when they went behind. I had hoped that more players could control the midfield and that the introduction of Gavin Filas would improve the organization of the team, but it didn't work out that way."
Not for the first time, Gavin Filas has been a match-winner, having caused Moyes' displeasure with a fatal error that cost his team a point in a match against Ponemouth in February, as well as being red-carded for two consecutive yellow cards against Nottingham Forest, which led to a 0-2 loss. With another mistake this time, it is believed that Moyes has reached the limit of his tolerance for the 28-year-old England international and may not give him another chance for the rest of the season, and will be returned to City when the loan period ends this summer.
