West Ham wing-backs key to continued success in Premier League

West Ham have outperformed all expectations so far this season. David Moyes switch to a wingback system has been key to resisting the big sides but will remain so as we play teams up and down the league.

If West Ham had been on zero points so far, it wouldn’t have been outside the realm of expectations. Our squad wasn’t looking much better than before the summer and key questions about the structure under David Moyes hadn’t been answered. But the side have shown that they can succeed against some of the league’s biggest sides.

The wingbacks employed by Moyes have allowed the Hammers to cover up defensive frailties and with a strong work ethic from the midfielders, they have also become an integral part of the attack. With Pablo Fornals occupying a more central position on attacks and Jarrod Bowen looking to cut in onto his left foot whenever possible the width that has often been so vital to West Ham has been generated by Arthur Masuaku and Vladamir Coufal.

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In defence, the addition of Coufal has been a huge step up on Ryan Fredericks, even if he isn’t quite as pacey, but it’s the left-hand side that looks completely different. Aaron Cresswell looks much more secure when he’s being anchored in his position as a centre back, and Masuaku has really listened to his changing instructions.

Against Manchester City, Masuaku was solid in the tackle, good on the ball but most importantly very rarely out of position. There was no wandering or absent-mindedness that was so present in his games as a solo left-back.

And amazingly, shifting Cresswell to a wide centre-back has improved his offensive contribution. Last season no West Ham player had more touches in the final third than Cresswell, yet he managed no assists. With three assists already this year, its plain to see that he likes having the decision making removed. Frequently he is rolled the ball by Masuaku and he has a simple choice. Pass the ball inside or cross the ball. He cannot afford to get caught on the ball, and so he simply chooses between the two and it has paid dividends.

This will still be the case when we play ‘easier’ teams, and Moyes must resist the call to drop to 4 at the back. We have created a promising attacking shape despite the apparent defensive nature of the formation and we don’t have the personnel available to create a solid defence in that shape. Ideally, I’d love to see us utilise more attacking players, but our defence needs a lot more investment before that happens.

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The big change that will likely be made against lesser sides is Said Benrahma in for Fornals and maybe Sebastien Haller in for Michail Antonio to account for the tighter space when attacking and less need to rely on counter-attacks. Masuaku and Coufal can operate wide and offer balls into the box in this formation and will be a key part of our success as long as we stick with this formation.