David Moyes strange aversion to number 10s’ has cost West Ham big time, it could get worse

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West Ham boss David Moyes seems to have an aversion to playing number 10s in their correct position through the middle.

The Hammers have been on a slow and painful downward spiral since the start of this year.

The East London outfit have taken just 33 points from 31 games played since January 16th of this year. That’s pretty much relegation form isn’t it.

Something has to change, and fast.

David Moyes is under real pressure in his role as West Ham manager, there is absolutely no doubt about that.

I believe that there is one huge error that Moyes has been making since the start of last season though. And it is really hampering our fluency as a team…

West Ham boss David Moyes has a serious problem with number 10’s

The most obvious example of this is Pablo Fornals.

The 26-year-old played exclusively in the middle of the park for Villarreal, either as an 8 or a 10.

Yet Moyes only plays him out wide on the left in Premier League games for West Ham. Frustratingly, the Scot does deploy him centrally in meaningless European games, like the one we had against FCSB recently.

Fornals’ lack of pace makes him totally ineffective as a left winger. I also think that his supposed tracking back and helping out Aaron Cresswell is a bit of a myth as well to be honest.

Said Benrahma performs that role just as well as Fornals if not better. If you don’t believe me, watch the tapes back.

The same can be said of Nikola Vlasic.

Moyes used the Croatia international exclusively and a left winger during his time at the London Stadium. He failed miserably with West Ham and was loaned out to Torino in the summer.

It’s no surprise that he is absolutely flying with Torino though. He is being played in his correct number 10 position after all!

So why is Moyes so averse to playing number 10’s centrally?

I believe it’s because he is very much a risk-averse manager, and hates the thought of any of his players being given somewhat of a free role.

I hate to think what Moyes would have done to Dimitri Payet.

If we are ever to see the best out of Pablo Fornals, David Moyes needs to play the West Ham ace in the number 10 role, or at least alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the park.

The Scot has already painfully wasted Nikola Vlasic. Let’s hope he doesn’t do the same with Fornals.

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