Moyes must sort out midfield overload

(Photo by Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images)

It seems almost impossible but on my count the Hammers currently have 13 midfielders on their books, two proper front men and seven defenders -with perhaps two of the back four men of genuine Premier League quality.

Incredibly we gave a team oif midfield men plus one in Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, Mark Noble, Jarrod Bowen, Andriy Yarmolenko, Grady Diangana, Felipe Anderson, Manu Lanzini, Robert Snodgrass, Pablo Fornals, Nathan Holland, Conor Coventry and of course Jack Wilshere.

Sadly that speaks all to loudly for the recruitment policy at the club over the last few years and not all of that can be laid at Manuel Pellegrini’s door although it’s impossible to forgive Wilshere’s £100,000 three year contract.

With Rice, Bowen and Soucek, immediate names on the team sheet with Fornals not far behind, David Moyes has some tough decision to make on who stays and who goes because carrying 13 of them simply isn’t on.

I have little doubt that Holland and Coventry will eventually find themselves out on loan again whilst Grady Diangana will probably be given until Christmas to show us what he’s got.

Yarmolenko has pushed hard in pre-season but his injury record is not good although he is decent cover for Bowen which leaves Lanzini and Anderson on the questionable list with Snodgrass and Noble now coming towards the end.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the manager sorts out a squad so top-heavy in that area…will we see some swap plus cash deals in order to boost that very fragile defence.

More than possible.