Moyes must solve Ings puzzle

Danny Ings scored West Ham’s only goal in the 1-1 Europa Conference League quarter final first leg against Gent. The £15 M January signing from Aston Villa also scored twice against Nottingham Forest so on the surface it would appear as if he’s doing okay.

Personally I’m far from convinced. We’ve now seen Danny Ings deployed in three different formations, sometimes with a partner and sometimes as a lone striker. Disconcertingly he looks isolated irrespective of the system and lacks the pace to truly thrive in the managers counter attacking system.

Danny Ings is a natural finisher

I do feel however, that if the Hammers are to retain their Premier League status then we must get the most out of Ings. The former Liverpool and Southampton front man is a proven Premier League goalscorer who Moyes admits to not fully knowing how to utilize.

Ings is a poacher, a fox in the box, a striker who sniffs out opportunities in the six yard box but he needs a supply line to get the best out of him. Much like Javier Hernandez he is a specialist at finishing off attacks, so asking him to drop deep of wide is a futile exercise.

With Gianluca Scamacca now absent following knee surgery, West Ham will need Danny Ings more than ever.