West Ham United took Southampton 3-1 at home on Saturday. It wasn’t just a good win, it was the most cohesive unit the Hammers have put on the pitch all season.
The motto all week for West Ham was “must-win” and in truth, it was. Leading up to the match there was a lot of dread and anxiety about what lineup David Moyes might throw out. Would the Hammers go for the win? Or would they just try to not lose?
As the clock struck 60 minutes till kick-off, those fears were very much erased as not only did the Gaffer host a strong lineup, but it was also attacking… something seldom seen around West Ham. Fast forward 90+ minutes, the Hammers have 3 points and there best showing in months.
It might seem a bit unfair or irrelevant to say that they have just now only found there best Starting XI but its accurate. Even when West Ham was pushing for Champions League football in the early stages of the season, they were nowhere near as cohesive as on Saturday afternoon.
From the back working forward, everyone had it in stride and work well off and on the ball. Both Cresswell and Jeremy Ngakia have reformed well under the 4 at the back change and for now, both Declan Rice and Nobes seem to be the best defensive midfield pairing.
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The bulk or more noticeable change came from the more attacking 4 players in the formation. Pablo Fornals is missing no more and the new boy Jarrod Bowen came on to the scene lights out. Oh, and who would’ve guessed that having Michail Antonio playing will Seb Haller would’ve worked out?
Goals from Bowen, Antonio, and Sebastien Haller aside, the major change was the passion and the passing. Every pass was done so with confidence in the fact that it was going the right way and when it didn’t, you rarely saw heads go down in frustration like in the past. Mistakes were also covered down on pretty quickly and only once did they seem out of step.
Understandably, this is a small sample size with 10 games still to play, but for now, this has to be the best Starting XI out there for the Hammers. The only arguable position might be one of Mark Noble due to the current injury of Tomas Soucek.
Having the likes of Anderson and McMessi on the bench are great options as well for down the stretch as with aggression and drive sometimes come mistakes and they both have proven that they can come in and help take the match on the front foot.
The season only gets harder from here as the Hammers will travel across the city to face off against the Gunners this weekend. This London Derby will add more pressure to the squad but with this XI at hand, the hope and belief are certainly there for now and down the road.