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West Ham: No need to look for a right-back this summer

By Jeremiah Carson

NORWICH, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Ryan Fredericks of West Ham United reacts during the Premier League match between Norwich City and West Ham United at Carrow Road on July 11, 2020 in Norwich, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
NORWICH, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Ryan Fredericks of West Ham United reacts during the Premier League match between Norwich City and West Ham United at Carrow Road on July 11, 2020 in Norwich, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) /
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Right backs and new owners are synonymous at West Ham for one thing; being talked about ad nauseam. However, the former may not be needed anymore.

Going back to last August and the start of the West Ham season seems like an eternity ago. In that time frame, the right-back position for the Hammers has been a roller coaster of emotions from good to bad and everywhere in between. Finally, that conversation may no longer have a meaning as the Hammers get set to enter another transfer window.

During a recent podcast on The West Ham Way, the beloved ITK, ExWHUemployee, mentioned that West Ham might no longer need to search for a right-back. I know, shocking; but honestly, it’s true. The Hammers may have what they need right in front of them.

To break down this idea, and the title of the post, we need to go back to the beginning once more. The first idea surrounding the Hammers right side was that they had Ryan Fredericks for pace, Pablo Zabaleta for experience, and Ben Johnson for the future. In just a few months, that scenario all changed.

West Ham: No need to look for a right-back this summer

Pablo came out on record that he would not be returning to East London or the EPL. Poor Ryan Fredericks couldn’t stay healthy to save his life, and as for Ben Johnson, he was nowhere to be found. Then out of nowhere, Jeremy Ngakia shows up and renews our spirits once more. But just as the excitement level raised, he declined a contract extension and was leaving the club.

There was seemingly no way that the club was saving themselves from their right-back crisis. When COVID-19 struck the world, it may have done West Ham a favour. As the EPL was on hiatus for well over three months, Fredericks healed up, and Ben Johnson took his opportunities well once training began again.

Since the reboot of the season, both defenders have been outstanding. Johnson even proved his versatility once more, by playing on the left side last week against Aston Villa. The two complement each other well, as Johnson helps give Fredericks a break, and in turn, he pushes Johnson to get better and be more competitive.

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For now, these two defenders are the perfect fit moving forward and can help the ownership massively as they can now focus on other prospects and positions with needs. Only keeping two right-backs may be a risky move, but with the right rotation, they can become quite the duo down the right side next season.