Moyes: West Ham ‘did what they had to do’ against Southampton

Nayef Aguerd’s first goal for the club proved the difference on the day, lifting Hammers out of the bottom three and up to 14th place.

And the manager was pleased to get that reward, having missed out on other occasions in the past.

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“I’m really pleased with the result. We did what we had to do. We’ve played better and not won in the past,” he said.

“Today was all about the result. The players dealt with any pressure and anxiety and we’ve got two games in hand, but that can make it a bit nervy.

“We’ve been on a pretty good run at home, with the European games on top of that, we’ve been pretty good [at home].

“There’s been some shocks and surprise results but I think that’s a lot to do with the quality in the Premier League, from the bottom to the top. There’s not an awful lot between an awful lot of others.

“We’ve had a clean sheet, Aguerd’s first goal, so it’s really pleasing. Performances are important but we’ve got to concentrate on results first.”

Moyes was disappointed to hear that Leicester had sacked fellow manager Brendan Rodgers earlier in the day and once again reiterated the strength of his relationship with West Ham’s owners.

“I’m in the results business and have to get results,” he added.

“I’m really disappointed for Brendan, he’s a super manager and really good coach and has had a good record wherever he’s worked.

“You’re very fortunate if you’re a manager and only winning all the time.

“I can understand the panic. Expectations can be great. I’m fortunate with the owners I’ve got, they’ve been really good and we’ve had two really good years.

“We’re in a whirlpool and that is happening more now [managers being sacked], probably because of the money. There’s a lot at stake and it’s a big thing for clubs to go down.”

And with Champions League hopefuls Newcastle up next on Wednesday, Moyes is hoping they can start creating more chances for Danny Ings to fire.

“We didn’t do as well as we wanted early on, but we got the goal which meant we had something to hang onto,” he said.

“We had a few chances on the counter, but overall we just about edged it and deserved the victory.

“We’re not playing at our best. The Forest game showed if we get the ball to Danny, he can score.

“We’ve not been up the pitch that far enough to have sustained pressure and create opportunities but we’re really pleased with Danny and hope he can nick us a few goals before the end of the season.”