Arthur Masuaku is an extremely divisive character amongst the West Ham fans.
On the one hand, he is incredibly exciting when going forward, and he hast a vast array of tricks up his sleeve.
On the other, however, he is often found wanting defensively, and his positional sense leaves a lot to be desired.
Masuaku admitted today in fact that he is naturally an attacking player, when speaking exclusively to the club’s official website:
“I am obviously an attacking player but first of all I play as a defender, so I need to defend first. Then, if I can do something up front, I’m pleased to do it.”
So is Manuel Pellegrini playing the Congolese ace in the wrong position?
The former Olympiacos man, 25, can really hurt the opposition in the final third, but he has often proven that he is somewhat of a liability at the back for the Hammers.
Now, West Ham do have plenty of options in the attacking department, so there there is, of course, no guarantee that Masuaku would be a regular starter in the left-wing role.
He probably has more chance to play regularly at left-back. So it’s somewhat of a catch-22 for him and Pellegrini.
Perhaps the Chilean might be best off experimenting with Masuaku as a left-winger in cup games to start. And see how he performs.
The 25-year-old might end up being a useful asset for West Ham going forward, no pun intended.
It remains to be seen, however, whether Pellegrini will continue to persist with the Hammers ace at left-back.
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