With the international break pausing Premier League action for a fortnight, Outside90’s Evan Morgan Grahame sums up West Ham United’s season so far.
What has gone right?
Well, plainly and most impressively, the summer recruitment has been stellar. The Hammers new boys are the envy of the league, with particular mention to Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini. Payet, one of Europe’s most creative players last season for Marseilles, has continued in this rich vein. Lanzini, a diamond uncovered by Slaven Bilic in the UAE, has quickly become one of the league’s most impressive young starlets – his future certainly lies, if not with West Ham, then with another club in a senior continental league. Victor Moses, Gabriel Ogbonna and Pedro Obiang have added supplementary quality to a squad that should be able to easily weather the demands of the 38-game season.
What has gone wrong?
There remain serious concerns about Andy Carroll, still the club’s record signing, more specifically his suitability to Bilic’s tactical master plan. It is a frustrating problem – though not nearly as frustrating as the striker’s injury woes over the last three seasons – because his aerial virtues are clear and compelling when incorporated successfully into a matchday system. But, considering the manner in which Payet and Lanzini dictate the play, Carroll has been useful only as a substitute, when Bilic’s Plan A has been abandoned. Rumours of Newcastle’s Steve McClaren being interested in bringing the striker back to St James’s Park abound and few West Ham fans would object too vocally if this were to happen.
[interaction id=”564816ef30738315342b4edc”]
Best player so far – Dimitri Payet
The choice is indisputable, West Ham’s French playmaker has not just been their best player, he has been one of the league’s most dangerous pass-masters. Payet has made more key passes (43) than any other player (Mesut Ozil has made 38) and he has settled with aplomb into the heart of West Ham’s swashbuckling attack. Slaven Bilic made clear his intent to sign Payet as soon as he arrived at Upton Park – he had, in fact, tried to sign him for his previous club Besiktas. The Hammers entered into this latest international break with gritted teeth, deflated as they were by the harrowing announcement that Payet will be out for up to three months after a brutal challenge from Everton’s James McCarthy in their final match before the hiatus. The ankle injury McCarthy inflicted on Payet landed a hammer blow to West Ham’s European hopes, even with Lanzini an adequate replacement in attacking engine room. The way McCarthy scythed down the West Ham man said as much about the danger he poses as anything else. Here is hoping for a speedy recovery, because, beyond West Ham’s interests, Payet’s play has been a pleasure for all to watch.
Dimitri Payet's goal for West Ham today. #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/LiGKq47x6f
— Uber West Ham (@UberWestHam) August 15, 2015
What is Next?
Four of West Ham’s next six fixtures are against teams in the bottom-half of the table, so Payet’s injury has at least been timed well. West Ham will be counting down the days until the return of their star, but in the meantime, Bilic might take this as an opportunity to test out Michail Antonio, the summer signing from Nottingham Forest. Antonio has made one solitary appearance for West Ham since he arrived, and with Lanzini expected to migrate into the middle of the attacking three, Antonio is well placed to slide in to the vacant spot on the wing. With Moses on the other flank, West Ham will be in no shortage of pace and power in wider areas. Payet’s injury is a hellishly dark cloud, to be sure, but Antonio might just be its silver lining.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
