In his previous spell as West Ham boss David Moyes had just begun to transition the side into a five-man defence with wing-backs, but then was not offered a new contract with the club and Manuel Pellegrini deployed a different system. Up until the weekend, Moyes had the ideal players at his disposal to utilise a formation with five at the back, but Ryan Fredericks’ injury against Gillingham could prove to be a real problem, even if the Hammers manager continues to use four-man backline.
The issue is that Moyes only has two real alternatives on the right side of the defence, Pablo Zabaleta and Michail Antonio; neither of whom are ideal options as a replacement in the next month. West Ham have some of their most challenging fixtures of the season coming up as they face Sheffield United, Leicester City, Liverpool and Manchester City all within the space of a month. It will be a significant test of Moyes’ ability to adapt to the circumstances and a show of his intentions depending on which full-back he opts for.
Zabaleta would be the safer choice as he is vastly experienced, but his age may be catching him up a little at 34-years-old. It showed when he was introduced against Gillingham as he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, with the Argentine having made a meagre three Premier League starts this season and is likely to be short of match fitness.
Alternatively, Antonio would be a bold choice by Moyes, as the Englishman usually operates much further up the pitch as a right midfielder or striker but has deputised at the back before. Due to his attacking nature, Antonio would be far better suited to a five-man defence which would provide extra cover while he bombed forward. Furthermore, Declan Rice could slot into the middle of the trio of centre backs to provide him with protection to execute long-range passes.
Moyes has a choice to make deciding how to adapt for his difficult run of upcoming fixtures. The selection he makes will be an excellent indicator of how he intends to play upon his return to the London Stadium, and it will be fascinating to see if he opts for Antonio’s attacking prowess or the steadiness that the veteran full-back Zabaleta is able to provide.
