What have we just witnessed as “new-look” West Ham leave fans bored stiff and bemused

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What have we just witnessed as “new-look” West Ham leave fans bored stiff and bemused in a disappointing and fortunate draw with Bournemouth.

If this is how David Moyes is going to set up without talisman Lucas Paqueta then West Ham can forget about the top six.

Many believed there was a genius tactical plan behind West Ham’s signing of Kalvin Phillips.

That he would play in a potentially impenetrable defensive midfield two alongside Edson Alvarez releasing Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse to play further forward and freeing up Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus from defensive duties.

With Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals absent amid the circus around their intended departures and Paqueta injured – Moyes played FOUR central midfielders in the side for the Cherries.

In short it simply did not work. At all.

Jeers rang out around the London Stadium at half-time and at the final whistle.

And the common question muttered by angry fans as they gathered in thousands waiting for those blasted ‘Stop, Go’ signs to turn green on their way out of the ground summed it up.

What have we just witnessed as “new-look” West Ham leave fans bored stiff and bemused in a disappointing and fortunate draw with Bournemouth.

In fairness to Moyes he has held his hands up that his “experiment” didn’t work. But it was never going to.

Bar one or two three or four pass moves smattered here and there, West Ham were abject yet again.

It’s been the same story since the turn of the year. Moyes admitted after the draw at Sheffield United that his side had put in their worst performance of his tenure.

Well this somehow topped it.

No real threat, no attacking intent, no patterns of play. No hope.

We drew with a Brighton side missing five of their best players, we couldn’t beat a midtable Championship side over two games. And we looked no better than a team destined to be back in that division in the near future.

Injuries and absences were a legitimate excuse in those games. But that cannot be used to explain away this display.

The only key starter West Ham are missing at the moment is Paqueta.

And with uncertainty over his return date, the way the Hammers set up and play without him is extremely concerning.

How can it be that we are so reliant on one individual? That is on the manager.

Other teams and clubs have a playing style and philosophy with players coming in and out of the system. At West Ham the players dictate the system.

West Ham are propped up by a handful of individuals. And when they’re not available or not in form it simply doesn’t work.

A draw was actually an excellent result for West Ham on the balance of play last night. And that says everything.

But much more of this and West Ham will drop down to midtable mediocrity within weeks.

That would be galling given the golden opportunity that is in front of us in the Premier League in the second half of the campaign.

The clamour for a new deal for Moyes after that win at Arsenal already seems like an age ago.