West Ham set for positional battle after Ace joins Hammers

Competition for starting jobs is never a bad thing, especially for a team as thin as West Ham is. So, how will the latest Hammer effect the depth sheet for David Moyes?

What is certain with the signing of Vladimir Coufal at West Ham is that the Czech right-back will start with the trust of his manager? Why? Because the ever-elusive transfer budget that Sullivan has created for this window was actually used to bring in this player. There is nothing the board love more than hoarding money, so spending some must mean the player has considerable skill.

Furthermore, Moyes’ first signing for West Ham, Tomas Soucek, acted as the intermediary between the Hammer and Slavia Prague, and after his stunningly brilliant start to Premier League life, Coufal has a high bar for performance.

Before Vladimir Coufal’s signing, Ben Johnson was the starting left-back with Harrison Ashby as backup. Both academy products, Johnson and Ashby have excelled in their limited but growing chances in the first team through Premier League (for Johnson) and Cup (Ashby) action.

When fit, Ryan Fredericks precedes both Johnson and Ashby, but with him currently out injured, Johnson assumes the starting role. With Coufal now in the mix, Johnson is saved from U23 oblivion by his versatility. Aaron Cresswell being used as a centre-back means that only Arthur Masuaku remains as a left-back/wingback, as well as the versatile Johnson.

Ashby, who looked extremely comfortable against Hull City in the Carabao Cup, will return to the development squad, which is no demotion for the 18-year-old. This kid has a bright future in front of him and will be back in no time. Don’t be surprised if a loan move is on the cards for him.

As mentioned, Johnson will drop back into a depth role due to his ambidextrousness, making him a valuable asset. For the time being, he will act as both right and left-back cover in the absence of  Ryan Fredericks.

Once healthy, the battle will start to rage as Coufal will have had potentially one to two matches to establish himself in David Moyes’ team. This is crucial, specifically him starting against Leicester this weekend, because prior to going down injured against Wolves, Fredericks was starting the season very strong.

Only time will tell who will top who in the battle of the right-backs, but what is certain is that both Coufal and Fredericks will push each other for the starting job. This can only be a good thing as West Ham have lacked positional depth and inner competition for quite some time. Coufal’s addition is welcomed and needed.