West Ham have underperformed this season. That goes without saying.
It could be argued that every single position needs strengthening.
A new centre-back, central midfielder, right-back and a striker are all needed.
But there is one position that is being overlooked, and it’s a real problem for the Hammers.
West Ham currently have Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku as left-back options.
The Congolese defender has been out of the team for the past two months, with Cresswell starting regularly.
The 30-year-old has been very poor this season, however, despite the fact that he has chipped in with a few goals.
The Liverpool-born left-back is a liability defensively and his lack of pace is causing West Ham all sorts of problems down the left hand side from a defensive perspective.
It is clear for everyone to see that the Hammers need to strengthen at left-back, but the other problems in different areas of the pitch seem to be masking that particular weakness.
Hammers board might view things differently…
West Ham cannot afford to overlook this in January or the summer. They absolutely must strengthen and upgrade on either Cresswell or Masuaku if they truly want to make progress and reach the next level.
The problem is that the owners will probably not see it that way. They have two solid left-backs, one being 30 and one being 26, and they will feel that that is good enough for a club of their stature.
It could be argued that it is more urgent to strengthen other areas of the pitch.
But it must be remembered just how costly Cresswell’s and Masuaku’s displays this season have been.
And the West Ham owners cannot afford to be blind to that fact.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
