David Moyes should discontinue his three-man midfield experiment as it has proven to be ineffective. This approach was initially stumbled upon by the West Ham manager after Nayef Aguerd’s sending off against Chelsea earlier this season. Unfortunately the tactics are not working.
The central midfield, comprising James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, and Tomas Soucek, were deployed in the subsequent game, resulting in a 3-1 win against Brighton. The original intent of this tactic was clear: to bolster the midfield, allow Paqueta to play in a more liberated role on the left, and make West Ham a tough team to beat.
Hammers tactics are not working.
Regrettably, the tactic hasn’t yielded the desired results since that Brighton game. Under this strategy, the Hammers have been conceding more than two goals per game. They suffered 3-1 losses to Manchester City and Liverpool. Moyes, however, persisted with the strategy, which did pay off with a 2-0 win against Sheffield United. Nonetheless, a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United and a 4-1 loss to Aston Villa have resulted in just two wins in the six games in which this tactic was employed.
Low block has stopped blocking
Surely, it’s time for David Moyes to rethink his gameplan. The team appears excessively defensive, which could be justified if it led to victories, but it hasn’t. Mohammed Kudus has yet to make his first Premier League start and deserves to share the field with Lucas Paqueta, Ward-Prowse, and Jarrod Bowen.
Personally, I would recommend replacing Tomas Soucek with Kudus. Whilst Soucek has shown improvement this season, I believe that a change in this area could enhance the speed of our counterattacks.
I’m quite sure Moyes will alter the team for Thursday’s Europa League game. However it will be the EPL clash against Everton which will truly show if the manager is ready for change.