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No left-back no problem? West Ham pushing fullback need into next season

By Adam Smith

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Arthur Masuaku of West Ham United puts a captain's armband on teammate Lukasz Fabianski during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 27, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Arthur Masuaku of West Ham United puts a captain's armband on teammate Lukasz Fabianski during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 27, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Just a few days into the Summer Transfer Window and West Ham are already pivoting on their supposed transfer plans. With a new left-back no longer a priority, is Manuel Pellegrini right to push the issue to next summer?

There are a few reasons why the West Ham faithful should be okay with this 180 from Pellegrini on his left-backs. It isn’t exciting, but maybe, just maybe, this is the right decision not only for now but for the future.

The Budget

Pellegrini and Husillos’ budget is believed to be around 30m plus any player sales from the current squad. The team is going to need multiple strikers, a solid center midfielder, and a solid center-back. With the removal of left-back from the laundry list of needs, it alleviates some stress on player recruitment.

As well, with the other needs listed above higher in priority than left-back, would we really want a low-value (monetarily) being brought in? Sure, Husillos and Pellegrini bought Fabianski and Balbuena with extremely cost value deals, but they were both high-risk gambles that have paid off.

The Recruitment

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Forget the likes of Tagliafico from Ajax, West Ham’s recruits were likely going to be a little less exciting than that. The one name we heard plenty in January and ahead of this window was Olympiacos fullback Leonardo Kourtis and Blackburn Rovers Bradley Dack.

Firstly, Dack is no longer a fullback, but a flourishing attacking midfielder. The position switch came last season and Dack hasn’t looked back. The new midfielder is relishing his role and producing at an impressive clip.

Kourtis is the name we’ve heard the most and honestly, it’s a little underwhelming. While I’m sure Kourtis is a fine player, he isn’t the next level player West Ham supporters have been promised. So why rush the purchase of a new player then? We know what Masuaku and Cresswell can offer, so is there a need to gamble on what could be a marginally better player?

The Outlook

How many points did the Hammers lose because of poor fullback play? Undoubtedly, both Cresswell and Masuaku had awful games this season, but center-backs, center-mids, and strikers caused more problems for the Irons than fullbacks this season.

Also, if not for Mark Noble’s incredible run of games to end the season, as well as Marko Arnautovic’s goal-scoring streak to round out the season Arthur Masuaku would be getting a lot of love for his increased level of play. He lost his spot to Cresswell this season and sat the majority of the year on the bench, but he capitalized on an injury opportunity and flipped the script on his LB mate.

Many thought left-back wouldn’t be a problem for the Hammers going into this season, as Masuaku looked great as a wingback under David Moyes. Pellegrini’s flat four-at-the-back system, however, caused Masuaku to play the defensive side of the ball more than he was comfortable with.

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With Masuaku back in form, Cresswell back in health, and the transfer budget better allocated elsewhere, West Ham have no need for a left-back for the 2019/20 season. No new faces means less time needed to gel, and more stability in a team that needs to hit the ground running. No new left-back, no new problems for Pellegrini.

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