Initially written for Sancho Quinn as part of his full Premier League midseason fans review which you can find here.
At the beginning of this season West Ham were a club in crisis and the feeling around the place had hit a real low point after Mark Noble spoke out against the sale of Grady Diangana on Twitter. The atmosphere couldn’t be more different now. The team has come an awfully long way in a short period. Confident and assured throughout, we have competed in every game – something you couldn’t have said last season.
David Moyes – 9
Moyes has squeezed the best out of a relatively thin squad this season. Many had predicted West Ham to finish between 17th and 20th and yet, as we reach the halfway stage, we are sitting comfortably in 10th. His decision to revert to the 3-4-3 that he saw success with in his first term after a shocking GW1 performance against Newcastle turned out to be inspired with 4-0 and 3-0 wins over Wolves and Leicester forthcoming. And even after this was derailed by injuries to Arthur Masuaku and Michail Antonio, the switch back to a 4-2-3-1 has been well managed. Most impressively, since that defeat to Newcastle, we have gone completely unbeaten against non top-six sides – a remarkable feat given how brittle we’ve been in recent seasons.
His recruitment shouldn’t go unnoticed either. Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal have all proven to be shrewd acquisitions in positions where reinforcements were desperately needed and the early signs for Said Benrahma and Craig Dawson are very positive.
Lukasz Fabianski – 7
Always provides a safe base for us to build on and has prevented 3 goals according to post-shot xG. Dependable as ever although perhaps a little less dominant in the box than in previous seasons.
Vladimir Coufal – 9
Provides bags of energy down the right-flank – constantly overlapping the winger and providing support in attack while being very solid defensively. Currently leading for shots blocked (31) and third for tackles & interceptions combined (50). One of those players you can rely on to give you a minimum 7/10 every single game.
Fabian Balbuena – 7
Vitally important to the three at the back system that saw us produce some of our best form. His aggression in pushing upfield to win the ball early allowed us to transition quickly into counter-attacks regularly in this period of the season. Though he can and has been exposed for his struggles when turned and has a tendency to think too slowly when recovering.
Angelo Ogbonna – 10
I was going to say 9 but I couldn’t really think of any reason to mark him down. He’s been absolutely brilliant. Leads by example every week and though he may not wear the armband, he’s consistently encouraging and organising those around him. Defensively excellent and incredibly reliable in the air – top for clearances (103) and aerial duels (73% won). Strong contender for HOTY.
Aaron Cresswell – 8
Another player that excelled in the three at the back system as he was allowed time to play out and was able to arrive late to cross from deeper positions. The assist leader (4) thanks to his crossing/set-piece ability, it’s been great to see Cresswell back at his best. Some criticism for defensive lapses when asked to play a more orthodox left-back role but mostly good things so far.
Arthur Masuaku – 8
Managed to make himself one of the most important players in the team before his injury. His dribbling ability and press-resistance made him crucial for us to be able to transition the ball out of defence quickly and successfully. With Cresswell to cover for defensive deficiencies that have always been present he’s been able to focus on what he’s best at. Now a key player when fit.
Tomas Soucek – 9
What a player! Tomas gives us constant running, dependable (albeit often safe) passing, fantastic aerial ability and a great sense of positional awareness. Has the legs to go box-to-box which we’ve missed since we sold Kouyate. And that’s all without mentioning his fox-in-the box talents too, currently our top goalscorer with 5 and keeps popping up in the perfect positions at the right time.
Declan Rice – 9
The perfect partner for Soucek. Since becoming the on-pitch captain, he’s gone up another level. His passing range seems to just keep growing and now we regularly see him spraying balls long distances across the pitch with relative ease. He’s got the knack of that Parker-esque spin to beat the press too. With real leadership qualities emerging this season, Rice has truly nailed his spot as the heartbeat of the team.
Jarrod Bowen – 8
Infectious enthusiasm, always. Bowen is second for goals (4) and has provided fantastic energy, commitment and drive down our right-side. If he could pick his head up a little more in key areas then he would be significantly adding to his goal contributions. Brilliant thus far and just a little composure short of a top-quality winger.
Michail Antonio – 7
Fitness remains an issue but when fit he brings invaluable strength and pace to the front line. Occupies opposition defenders excellently while bringing teammates into play. Yet to really get going thanks to fixtures and injuries but definitely central to any plans going forward.
Pablo Fornals – 7
Has often found himself scapegoated by the fanbase as our other forwards potentially have a little more flair and panache to their play but Fornals’ energy and quality of movement shouldn’t go unnoticed. Now a key performer off the left-flank with his reliable defensive contribution and his ability to pick a pass through for a teammate or to pop up at the right time in the box. If he can improve his finishing, we could have a very good player on our hands.
Sebastien Haller – 6
The talent is obviously there but the way we set-up just doesn’t work for Haller. Often at the centre of fan frustration when things haven’t worked out, he’s kept plugging away and does offer real quality with his passing and finishing in the final third. He just hasn’t been able to do what our system has needed him to do and I can’t see him being retained next season.
Ryan Fredericks – 6
Although clearly nowhere near the level that Coufal has been able to set in this position, he has performed relatively well when called upon and was a real threat when featuring in the back-three system, as evidenced by his assist for Antonio against Arsenal.
Said Benrahma – 7
Just glimpses so far but clearly a player with bags of ability. Looks as though he is being slowly introduced as the 10 for our 4231 where he presses the opposition 6 effectively and offers the touch-and-turn quality needed for the role. Sure to be included more as the season goes on and two assists from his limited minutes is already a good return.
Issa Diop – 5
Not a season to remember so far. Lost his place unexpectedly (covid) to Fabian Balbuena and Moyes hasn’t looked back since. Even Dawson is now being preferred (and is performing well) ahead of him. Young and most definitely talented but at fault with simple mistakes too often (Benteke’s goal a good example). Arguably still too raw for where we need him to be. Hope he gets given time to turn it around because all the raw materials are there.
Andriy Yarmolenko – 5
Has become somewhat of a bit-part player for us now given the form of Bowen but has proven useful at times as he brings a little bit of added craft. Saying that, his horror show against Man City won’t be forgotten easily.
Only players with >250 mins qualified.
All rights reserved. Jack Elderton. 2020. Statistical input taken from Wyscout & Fbref (Statsbomb).
Jack Elderton 