I guess it should come as little surprise that Emerson’s poor form has coincided with that of Lucas Paquetá. The two men are like peas in a pod and have an incredible understanding on the pitch, which stems from their time together at Lyon.
Even though Emerson represents Italy, he was born and raised in Brazil, and his kinship with Paquetá is evident to all. One of the main reasons West Ham started last season so brightly was the combination of both players down the left-hand side, as then-manager David Moyes deployed Paquetá from a starting position on the wing.
At times, their understanding and interplay were remarkable, giving the impression that these two highly skilled footballers could play one-twos with their eyes shut.
However, a change in management has resulted in a shift in Paquetá’s position, and as a consequence, Emerson’s effectiveness has greatly diminished. Incredibly, the former Chelsea man has not even looked like West Ham’s best left-back this season. Every time Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been asked to fill that unfamiliar role, he has performed better.
Therefore, yesterday’s move by Julen Lopetegui to play Dinos Mavropanos at right-back could prove to be bad news for Emerson. Deploying chunky central defenders in full-back positions seems to be all the rage over the past couple of years, and Dinos acquitted himself very well.
More concerning for Emerson was the fact that Wan-Bissaka improved the left flank both defensively and in attack. The switch poses a most welcome dilemma for a Hammers head coach, and with a must-win game against Ipswich approaching, I would not be at all surprised to see a defensive line similar to the one that finished the Brentford game.
Moyes used to get criticised for playing Paquetá on the left but in hindsight it’s probably been his best position for us largely thanks to his understanding with Emerson. I think Moyes also felt safer with Paquetá on the left thanks to his ability to give the ball away in bad positions when he’s in the middle.
Sorry Gonzo – I find the reference to Emerson as “Moyes favourite” deeply disappointing – in fact at first I thought that you were referring to Coufal
Can we please move on from Moyes – our manager is now Lopetegui. I know that it is my choice to visit this site – but I used to find it very useful
If pundits such as TalkSPort still want to harp back on careful what you wish for – then that is their business
Let C&H concentrate on this season not keep harking back to last season
I thought Mav has played for Greece at right back, and from memory C&H did a piece about a year ago that suggested we shouldn’t be surprised if he turned up at right back as that what was being played out at Rush Green?
That is what the commentators said too.
He did better than fine.