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Ben Johnson should start for West Ham against Man City

By Jay Korman

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Ben Johnson of West Ham United celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League 2 match between West Ham United and Everton at London Stadium on April 29, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Ben Johnson of West Ham United celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League 2 match between West Ham United and Everton at London Stadium on April 29, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images) /
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For most West Ham fans, the starting XI for the first Premier League match of the season against Manchester City is starting to take shape. We know the likes of Haller, Rice, Diop, and Fabianski are complete locks, but the one position that seems to have the most mystery around who will be the starter is left-back.

Cresswell, Masuaku, or Johnson? When you look at the Hammers squad right now, most positions are solidified with quality players who can perform consistently in the Premier League. Although West Ham do have two very experienced players at the left-back position when you take a look at the past couple of seasons, it’s quite hard to be optimistic about the position coming into this season. Enter Ben Johnson.

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Pellegrini is said to be quite high on the young English fullback who can play both left and right-back. Johnson made his Premier League debut for the Hammers last season against Manchester City, so it would definitely be a recognizable opponent for Johnson. Although he is just 19 years of age, I think Johnson is the clear-cut number one choice left-back heading into the season with the Hammers. Based off of the preseason so far, that seems to be the direction Pellegrini is heading in.

The Irons know what they are getting already with Masuaku and Cresswell. With Cresswell, you get an average defender who has trouble marking in the box and has lost a bit of pace. When he’s at his absolute best he can be a serviceable defender, however, he is way too inconsistent to start in the position. I think his role should be primarily cup matches.

As for Masuaku, things are a little more complicated. He is probably the favorite to start the City game, as he held the position for most of last season and showed flashes of excellence. In my opinion, he is way too attacking-minded to start at left-back for the Hammers and would excel in more of a winger type role, where he can use his pace and skill to cause problems for opposing back-lines. He is simply not consistent enough defensively to hold the position for me.

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Starting the 19-year-old Ben Johnson is certainly a big risk for Manuel Pellegrini and the Hammers. Putting so much faith and pressure on a young player is certainly a gamble for the club, but I think a necessary one. We all know what we are getting when Cresswell and Masuaku get out on the pitch, which is average to below-average defending. I say let’s stick the young kid in the starting XI and hope he blossoms into a quality defender.