As we start our good, bad, and ugly series for West Ham, we look at the left-backs. Aging, injury-prone, and inconsistent only start the conversation.
The left-back position has been a hot topic over the past few seasons for West Ham United. As David Moyes’ ink has barely dried on a new deal, he may want to dive into this intriguing decision in a hurry. However, the story isn’t all bad, so we will start there!
The Good
Quite simply, the good starts and ends with Aaron Cresswell. Although he isn’t getting any younger, the 31-year-old just put out his best product since the 2017/18 season. He played in 36 matches and accumulated eight assists. This campaign was his highest contribution total since joining the Hammers in 2014. Even his Hammer of the Year season didn’t see him play this well.
Maybe it was the injury to a fellow LB that got him prepared to step up, or maybe moving from the outside in and playing some center-back did it. Whatever the case, Cresswell stepped up hugely last year.
West Ham: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly with the left-backs
The Bad
Although Aaron Cresswell is linked to the good side of this article, he also finds himself on the bad list. This year he was hot and did almost everything right. However, he has year in and year out shown inconsistencies. If you had to dig for wrongdoings this year, you would have to look hard, but now and then, he falls back into the ball watching LB we all know and love.
The flipside to this coin finds Arthur Masuaku. Besides his inaugural season with West Ham, his number has progressively gone down in the starts department. Injuries have played a huge part in that bump, missing 51 games since the 2016 campaign. Four years younger than Cresswell but much more prone to a knick. One bad week could see this whole position gone.
The Ugly
Honestly, there isn’t an ugly piece to the West Ham left-backs. If anything, it would be the future. Cresswell is aging, and Masuaku can’t seem to bounce back from injuries. Both have the favor of David Moyes, but besides Cressy’s performance this year, both have been the weakest link on the pitch.
Both Ben Johnson and Ryan Fredericks could play over there, but they both seem more natural on the right-hand side. There are a few transfer rumors linking West Ham to promising left-backs, but nothing has been set in stone. If the Hammers don’t act fast, then this will turn into an ugly situation once more. Both of their starters are fading, so before time runs out, get help in now!