Rightback: B-
No one could have seen the emergence of Jeremy Ngakia this season. The young academy graduate, right-winger turned miracle replacement at right-back has stepped up against the best attack in the world… twice… and looked up to the task at every turn. His harnessing of the starting position has given David Moyes some needed stability on the right side and surely saved the board some coin.
The depth is there for the position, too. Even with Pablo Zabaleta retiring after this season the Hammers have Ryan Fredericks and too-good-for-the-U23s Ben Johnson waiting for the opportunity to show his worth in the first team.
Ironically, the most experienced player in this group of players could be the one on the fringe of being either sold or swapped this offseason. Fredericks has been good this season when he played, but injury is inevitable with him and he could be better suited for the Championship. There is no positional need here, but the sale of a player could be okay if it is reinvested elsewhere.
Leftback: C
Gone are the days of that final season at the Boelyn Ground, but despite time marching on Aaron Cresswell appears to be back at his best (or nearest we’ve seen to it) in quite some time. It’s an absolute positive that Cresswell has had a great season this year, but his injury record is worrying and so too is his age.
Arthur Masuaku is a frustrating non-starter at the position. He’s so good going forward but so bad in defence and has no real confidence when he doesn’t have the ball. There isn’t a future with him at this club, and with him on the selling block, a replacement needs to be found.
There is virtually no depth at the position with only 19-year-old Reece Hannam in the development squad as an emergency lifeline. Maskuaku needs to be sold and Moyes needs to push for a young replacement to push Cresswell and overtake him as the starter. QPR’s Ryan Manning is an option and should be pursued relentlessly.