West Ham United are currently 18th in the Premier League and have endured an atrocious season as a result of many bad performances and poor managerial decisions.
Is it years and years of ignoring the full-back positions that have silently contributed to this catastrophic season for West Ham? As the seasons have come and gone, the role and importance of a Premier League full-back have increased dramatically. Players like Kyle Walker are the drivers of this change, Walker is incredibly fast and strong and can attack just as well as he can defend.
This means that teams like Man City almost have an extra player on the pitch as they don’t have to worry about a lack of creativity or drive from the right-flank but they also don’t have to worry about a lack of defensive bodies as a result of an over-eager right back who can’t defend or trackback. The modern full-back covers both roles so is hence a pivotal member of the eleven.
Now, I’m not saying that West Ham should have gone and signed Walker from Tottenham in 2017 but surely both the right and left-back positions in East London should have been prioritized in Transfer Windows in recent years with the increasing importance of the positions.
The sickening truth is that West Ham’s last two right-back signings have been Ryan Fredericks on a free from then promoted Fulham in 2018 and 33-year-old Pablo Zabaleta on a free from Man City in 2017.
Neither are bad footballers but Zabaleta was at the end of his career when West Ham signed him and 3 years later he hasn’t got any younger, Fredericks has had injury issues at West Ham and looks scared on the ball and while defending against some of the trickier left-wingers. Surely and upgrade at right-back is long overdue.
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In terms of left-back, West Ham currently has Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku. Cresswell was bought from Ipswich Town in 2014 for around £4 million and has enjoyed some fantastic moments and performances in a claret and blue shirt, he has shown in the 2015/16 season but ever since he hasn’t quite been the same player.
Moyes chose to play Cresswell as a left-sided center-back during his first spell at the club and has done it a few times since he arrived in December. The fact of the matter is that Cresswell is now 30 years old and West Ham could do with a more athletic, defensively sound presence at left-back. Cresswell may be more suited to a back-up role.
Masuaku has had periods in and out of the side since he was signed from Olympiacos for £6 million in 2016. He has often looked like a promising player but is very suspect defensively and would probably be suited to the left-wing a lot more. He is sometimes aesthetically pleasing to watch but can’t be trusted at left-back in Premier League games due to his rash decision-making.
If you look at the teams above West Ham, who they should be closely competing with for a top-half finish, the likes of Everton, Wolves, and Newcastle, they all have decent fullbacks. Everton spent £17 million on Lucas Digne who is one of their key players, Wolves spent £19 million on Jonny and Newcastle managed to get savvy loan deals for Danny Rose and Valentino Lazaro.
If West Ham stays up and wants to have a positive next season than their priority in the Summer needs to be to buy a pair of young, athletic full-backs for good money. Even if they are to get relegated then they should still look to strengthen these positions as they are vital to a modern football team and have a huge impact on the way a team plays.