West Ham boss David Moyes looks on. (Getty Images)
West Ham United and coach David Moyes are in clear trouble. With the club facing a clear relegation threat at the moment, there is no denying that fact. The East London side is currently sitting at 16th place, with Watford and Bournemouth closely trailing them at 17th and 18th places respectively.
All three teams are on 27 points, however, West Ham sit above the relegation zone due to a superior goal difference. Moyes and co. now have nine more games to save themselves before anything worse happens. However, this would require a few tactical changes from the Scotsman, who has proven to be worse than his predecessor Manuel Pellegrini.
Ever since his appointment in December last year, Moyes has managed just 2 wins out of the 11 games that he has coached them. To make it even worse, he has also lost seven games in the process.
Not the best of performances from a coach who was brought in to lift an already sinking side such as West Ham. However, it is high time Moyes brought in some change or else the club could join the ranks of sides which have lost their way to obscurity.
With the crucial home match against Chelsea on the cards, West Ham and Moyes need nothing less than a win to stop themselves from going down the abyss. Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the tactical changes Moyes could bring in to help West Ham avoid relegation.
For long, West Ham have been dependent on their club legend and captain Mark Noble. He sure was their key player all these years and his contribution cannot be discredited. However Noble will turn 33 this year and he cannot become any younger.
The Hammers skipper has been in poor form this season as it is evident from his performances. He has played 28 of their 29 matches this season and has managed just one assist. The midfielder once used to be their consistent assist provider.
Also, he has been playing a deep-lying role, however, to no perfection. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Tomas Soucek has made an instant impact at the London Stadium. The Czech Republic player has made just 4 Premier League appearances but has done a pretty decent job as a defensive midfielder.
It would be better if Moyes opts for some young blood like Soucek to partner alongside another young midfielder Declan Rice. The two players could provide West Ham the much-needed vigour and confidence in the middle.
Moyes should avoid pointless late substitutions as it was evident in the 1-0 defeat against Arsenal. Moyes waited until the 81st minute to make a substitution, that too after his team conceded a goal. The next two came in the 87th and 90th minute respectively, when he brought in attackers Felipe Anderson and Robert Snodgrass.
With forwards Sebastian Haller and Michail Antonio consistently failing to find the back of the net, it would have done them the world of good had Anderson and Snodgrass come in a little earlier.
Also, he made a blunder of a decision by opting to substitute man-in-form Jarrod Bowen. His direct running and pace caused Arsenal problems all game long. The winger is also capable of playing up front and scoring goals – something which he has done to perfection with his former side Hull City.
Unless Moyes brings in these changes, it could prove to be a tough battle for the Hammers to survive relegation. They have won just one of their final five league matches but lost three. Hence, they need nothing less than a win in their remaining fixtures.
