Edson Alvarez impresses as West Ham look BETTER without formidable force Declan Rice, with stress-free win over Sheffield United another reminder of how smooth life has been after his exit

• West Ham have enjoyed a smooth start to life after Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal
• Summer signing Edson Alvarez is filling the midfielder’s role admirably this year 
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

The David Moyes Fan Club was short of members a few months back. Even after West Ham’s Europa Conference League triumph, there were those insisting it was time for a divorce.

It was left to Moyes to decide his own fate after that party in Prague and, in a meeting with David Sullivan on June 9, he told the club’s owner his work was not finished.

Now West Ham are seventh in the Premier League table, having only lost to Manchester City and Liverpool.

They are looking for another win in the Europa League when they visit Freiburg this Thursday and fancy themselves for runs in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Moyes’s football may not be the prettiest to watch. In fact, Saturday’s win came with minimal fuss, but that was largely down to a Sheffield United side who were insipid beyond belief. West Ham stormed into a two-goal lead and then declared, preferring to protect their legs for their next European adventure.

Edson Alvarez has filled Declan Rice’s role in West Ham’s midfield admirably this season

Rice departed for Arsenal over the summer in a move worth a staggering £105million

David Moyes decided his own fate but it will not be long before he is quizzed on his future

Saturday’s stress-free afternoon was another reminder of how smooth life has been without Declan Rice. Edson Alvarez is filling the England’s man’s midfield role admirably.

Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd are defensively sound. Tomas Soucek is getting into more advanced positions. James Ward-Prowse is the Premier League’s set-piece nonpareil. Jarrod Bowen is doing all he can to make Gareth Southgate think twice about another England snub and Lucas Paqueta, despite the betting investigation hanging over him, is at the forefront of everything else that is good about this team.

West Ham have arguably improved since losing the formidable force that is Rice. Seven games into the Premier League season, Moyes’s critics may wish to rethink.

The Scot is not getting ahead of himself, of course. It will not be long before reporters start quizzing the 60-year-old on his future, with his contract expiring at the end of the season. And he knows how quickly the mood can change once a defeat or three come along. But for now, he is right to enjoy the ride.

The same cannot be said for Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom. The visitors did little to respond to last week’s 8-0 humiliation by Newcastle, other than to offer up another defensive disasterclass. Bowen scored when none of the six defenders in the box picked him up. Soucek netted after Gustavo Hamer had gifted the ball in midfield. After that, there was no coming back, and the Blades remain winless.

Heckingbottom was defiant later, insisting it was not all bad. But you had to feel for the visiting fans who made the 350-mile round trip on a weekend of train strikes, only to head home with zilch to show for their support.

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