WEST HAM MANAGER David Moyes believes Andy Carroll’s physical approach means he is being unfairly targeted and deserves greater protection from match officials.

The striker was sent off at Burnley last month for picking up two cautions in as many minutes – both for raising his arm in aerial challenges.

Carroll escaped any punishment for a similar offence almost immediately after kick-off in Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Watford — Moyes’ first game in charge of the Hammers — and was later booked for an off-the-ball trip on Richarlison, seemingly in retaliation to a couple of perceived fouls shortly beforehand.

“I actually think when the ball goes up everybody is already saying it’s a foul against Andy,” Moyes said ahead of his first home game, against Leicester City on Friday.

“If we are now saying you can’t use your arms for leverage that isn’t in the rules of football.

“When he was booked, he had just been scythed down by two people. If that had been anyone else out there from outside this country then they would have gone down and taken a free kick. Andy didn’t.

“He stays up, is hit by two people and gets zero protection. I’ve said ‘Andy you’re going to have to change and adapt so that isn’t a situation,’ but I think it’s becoming ridiculous.

“It has to stop that in every tackle Andy goes for is a foul, because I don’t believe that’s true.

“From minute one, every time Andy Carroll plays, is everyone going to say, ‘that’s a foul by Andy Carroll?’

“If we do we’ve got to say if you’re 6ft 4ins you better go to basketball and stop being a centre-forward. I hope that now we are playing at home the crowd will support Andy in everything he does.”

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