Another West Ham player has been ‘Fornalsed’

West Ham player has been ‘Fornalsed’

Shell-shocked James Ward-Prowse looks to be half the player who joined West Ham this summer. Hooked off at halftime against Burnley alongside Kalvin Phillips, Ward-Prowse was ineffective, but I don’t blame him in the least.

The midfielder spent much of the first half on the left wing, a graveyard shift that has been the ruination of many West Ham players. Pablo Fornals was turned from a creative player into a workmanlike holding winger during his stint on the left.

JWP the winger? Another West Ham player has been ‘Fornalsed’

Said Benrahma was transformed from a tricky, flicking goal-scorer at Brentford into a timid, petrified hybrid winger whose confidence was completely shot by the end of his Hammers career. Fortunately for the players, it’s not terminal, and both have rediscovered their flair and goalscoring touch at Real Betis and Lyon respectively.

So now it’s the turn of James Ward-Prowse to be shoehorned into a position to which he is ill-suited. The tactic seems to be for him to start each game in an attacking midfield role. He doesn’t possess the vision, flair, or goal threat to play there, so invariably the experiment ends quickly.

Phase two of the tactic sees Lucas Paqueta moved infield as David Moyes searches for creativity, and JWP is dumped on the left. Of course, he has neither the speed, crossing, nor dribbling skills to play on the wing and predictably struggles.

James Ward-Prowse is a decent player, but he is a central midfielder who is a set-piece specialist. By constantly being played out of position, West Ham are not only destroying the player’s confidence but also setting up with a poorly balanced team.

It’s not JWP’s fault; he’s just the latest in a line of players to be ‘Fornalsed’.