Midfield switch needed for creativity
Watching West Ham try to clinch the winner against Crystal Palace was painful. There was plenty of endeavour as The Hammers huffed and puffed in an effort to get three points.
Why the urgency came so late in the game is anyone’s guess. It was akin to watching a bloke hurriedly rushing around the shops late on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, the urgency wasn’t accompanied by quality, and as a result, West Ham failed to get the win.
Midfield switch? West Ham need more creativity
Kudus on the left and Bowen on the right managed to bring some quality to the wings late on. However, there was precious little coming through the middle, with the lack of creativity clearly evident. Throughout the game, the midfield three of Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, and Tomas Soucek struggled with simple pass and move.
Of course, Ward-Prowse’s role in the Hammers’ opener was excellent, but it was a rare ball forward. Nayef Aguerd was once again the player producing the most progressive passes. Tomas Soucek may well be capable of scoring goals, but he’s not someone who can pass and move.
Often, West Ham lacks any fluidity in central midfield, and with Lucas Paqueta starting from a wide position, the midfield often doesn’t function. Moyes will need to make a tough decision at some point. If West Ham are to ever dominate games, the manager will have to drop one of his favourite three midfielders.
Its a simple decision. Here is our best team from midfield up, alvarez and paqueta holding. Fornals as an 8, with Cornet, Kudus and Bowen up top. We will never see this under Moyes. Every game is just a repèat of the previous one. Dull, boring football and it will not change. He picks a team to ensure soucek and wp are in the team no matter how rubbish they are playing.