Opinion

How West Ham can play Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and Brazil ace Lucas Paqueta with all four new signings in same side

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How West Ham can play Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and Brazil ace Lucas Paqueta with all four new signings in the same side.

West Ham are widely regarded to have had one of the best summer transfer windows in the Premier League.

Journalists, pundits and fans have raved about how Tim Steidten and David Moyes have spent the Declan Rice money.

Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Mohammed Kudus arrived for a combined £122m.

And bar two somewhat inevitable defeats to champions Man City and at Liverpool, the Hammers have made an excellent start to the new campaign.

Liverpool FC v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

But the arrival of the aforementioned talent has given Moyes something of a selection headache when everyone is fit.

Tomas Soucek looks back to his old self and has been superb so far this season.

And that has seen West Ham’s manager trying to shoe-horn players in – resulting in Lucas Paqueta playing on the left, being required to do a lot more defensive work.

We all know striker Michail Antonio cannot play every match with another 50-game plus season on the cards.

West Ham United FC v FK TSC Backa Topola: Group A - UEFA Europa League 2023/24
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Fans are eager to see Kudus become a starter while Jarrod Bowen is undroppable.

Some feel playing Ward-Prowse, Alvarez and Soucek can be too defensive against certain teams.

And while his end product simply must improve, Said Benrahma gives West Ham a spark they sometimes miss when he’s not in the side.

But there is a way to juggle the team and keep key players in their more natural positions while integrating the new boys.

West Ham United Training Session
Photo by West Ham United FC/Getty Images

And although Soucek is the man to rather harshly miss out, there will be plenty of games to go around.

This is how West Ham can play Bowen, Benrahma and Brazil ace Paqueta with all four new signings in same side.

The backline would see Alphonse Areola in goal, a back four of Emerson, Mavropanos, Kurt Zouma and Vladimir Coufal.

Alvarez would be the sitting midfielder behind Ward-Prowse and Paqueta.

And Benrahma would be out on the left with Kudus on the right and that man Bowen up front.

Moyes has stated on several occasions this season he sees Bowen playing as a striker more often. And he has been excellent when in the central role.

As he proved in devastating style in the Europa Conference League final, at Bournemouth, Brighton, Luton and Liverpool.

It’s certainly an attacking line-up with plenty of pace and skill.

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