David Moyes’s appointment as the new West Ham United manager has understandably been met with scepticism by supporters. His successive failures at Manchester United, Real Sociedad, and Sunderland are certainly a bad omen, but more importantly his negative attitude – both tactically and in press conferences – doesn’t seem suited to a club struggling for confidence in an unfamiliar home.
He will look to instill defensive tactics that prioritise security at the back over creativity at the front, which should mean the return of a 4-3-3 formation and some pretty dogged performances from the Hammers.
As such, here are five players who will be key to Moyes’s success:
Mark Noble
The West Ham captain has suffered badly over the last 18 months of Slaven Bilic’s tenure, largely because he is a footballer who depends upon his passion more than his technical ability – and therefore struggled without in-depth tactical direction from the Croat.
Moyes will drill some defensive discipline into Noble, which can only be a good thing. But what really makes him vital to the Moyes project is his position in the dressing room; unless Noble is on side, and thus leading from the front by putting in determined performances from the heart of midfield, then the Scot will struggle to inspire the squad. It won’t take much for confidence to drain permanently from the Hammers players, meaning Moyes needs to act fast and heavily involve Noble in his thinking.
Cheikhou Kouyate
Arguably the most talented midfielder in the West Ham squad, Kouyate could be the defensive shield West Ham are craving. Softness in the centre plagued Bilic’s final months, which is surprising given Kouyate’s superb performances from this position during the 2015/16 campaign. His downturn in form suggests Kouyate gave up on the Bilic project.
If Moyes can breathe fresh life into Kouyate then West Ham have a good chance of staying up. However, to do this he must be taught to curb his attacking instincts and stick to a deeper role. Kouyate’s wayward positioning has been a problem for far too long, but there is an excellent player hidden in there should Moyes’s famed defensive coaching prove successful in east London.
Winston Reid
Another powerful footballer who has lost his way recently is Reid, a player firmly in the mould of a Moyes centre-back and another obvious leader in the dressing room. Reid has largely looked poor in the last 12 months because of the chaos that surrounds him; Bilic’s tactical disarray often meant Reid was given too large an area of the pitch to cover, which doesn’t suit a player with little pace but an excellent reading of the game.
Moyes will change all that. We can expect some deep defensive formations and quick counters, meaning Reid will form part of a narrower defence with less space in behind. Consequently, Reid might just re-emerge as a fans favourite at the London Stadium.
Andre Ayew
The only hard-working forward in the West Ham squad is Andre Ayew, who will happily track back when the ball is lost and therefore should quickly become one of Moyes’s favourite players. The Ghanaian is one of the few players to have avoided criticism this season, chipping in with two goals and two assists, which means he should hit the ground running under new management.
Having scored twice in the EFL Cup win against Tottenham in October, Ayew has now scored three goals and assisted one in his last three appearances. Moyes would be wise to play Ayew on the left wing and give him space to breathe; his speed and strength should be well suited to counter-attacking football.
Andy Carroll
Moyes’ route one approach hasn’t been very successful since he left Everton, where Marouane Fellaini was an excellent target man for those long punts forward, but finally he has someone capable of mimicking those Toffees days. Andy Carroll is likely to start plenty of games under the Scot, with the goal being to bring Ayew into the game – and cause trouble at set-pieces.
West Ham fans might not like the idea of long-ball football, but when in form Carroll is a very exciting player to watch. His monstrous headers could provide the kind of lift the London Stadium desperately needs – and win points from scrappy matches while confidence remains low.
