West Ham, after two outstanding seasons—with a slight drop off towards the business end of last year—have started the 2022/23 campaign in the worst possible manner.
The Hammers are rock bottom in the Premier League table after three straight defeats, five goals conceded and zero scored, while last season’s stars such as Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Pablo Fornals are all struggling for form.
David Moyes is under huge pressure to turn things around at the London Stadium ahead of his team’s trip to Aston Villa on Sunday. With that said, here are three things Moyes must do to revive West Ham’s fortunes.
Change the system
David Moyes has used 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 over the three league games, but it hasn’t worked out for some other reasons. After the 2-0 defeat to Brighton in the last fixture, he should consider changing his system and perhaps go with a back three.
A back three of Thilo Kehrer, Kurt Zouma and Aaron Cresswell with Ben Johnson/Vladimir Coufal and Maxwel Cornet as wing-backs against Aston Villa could work out well. The 3-4-2-1 system will not only give balance to the team but also get the best out of Johnson and Cornet’s attacking traits from advanced positions.
Raise the team spirit
Key players like Jarrod Bowen, Declan Rice and Michail Antonio have looked far from their best this season.
The trio have been so crucial in the Hammers’ rise under Moyes over the last two years in the Premier League. However, the players are not showing their qualities and giving everything to be successful again. Rice, in particular, has looked out of sorts, failing to inspire his team in the three games.
It all boils down to how Moyes manages to get a reaction from his boys against Aston Villa at Villa Park. The Scotsman must give belief to his players and raise their spirits if he is to turn things around at the club.
Demand for more signings
In Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet and Thilo Kehrer among a few names, West Ham have shown ambition in the transfer window. But going by the club’s miserable start to the season, Moyes must further look to bring in a player or two before the transfer window slams shut.
The Irons have lacked the ‘X-factor’ player in the no.10 role, someone who can add spark to the team and use his vision to carve open rigid defences. Such a profile of a player is exactly what Moyes needs to demand from the board, which in return could be the catalyst for a huge resurgence in West Ham’s fortunes in the Premier League.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
