The West Ham United players kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 2-2 draw in a friendly against Hungarian side Ferencvaros yesterday.
See Hammers News player ratings by clicking HERE.
Some West Ham players were miles off the pace, as was expected to be the case, whilst some would have impressed Julen Lopetegui.
The Hammers head coach is expected to really move us on to the next level over the next few years.
Yesterday’s game was all about getting minutes into the players’ legs. The result wasn’t important whatsoever, but the last minute equaliser scored by Nayef Aguerd undoubtedly would have been a boost for everyone.
The fact that Ferencvaros have a Champions League qualifier to play next week, and have been working together for the past month highlights just how tough the game would have been for the West Ham players yesterday.
There was plenty on display out in Austria from the Hammers to get the fans excited.
5 things we noticed from West Ham pre-season friendly draw
It was an extremely hot afternoon out in Austria, and it was the players’ first outing of the summer.
So the underwhelming performance was actually expected somewhat – it was a typical pre-season friendly encounter.
Here’s five things that caught our eye though…
Maxwel Cornet used as striker
The 27-year-old joined the Hammers from Burnley for £17 million back in the summer of 2022. However, he failed to establish himself at the London Stadium, after David Moyes completely ostracised him from the squad. Maxwel Cornet has played just 957 minutes of football for the Hammers since joining us, but now he could be given a new lease of life under Lopetegui. He was used as a centre-forward during the first-half against Ferencvaros yesterday, and we got a glimpse of what he could offer us. The Ivorian pressed well from the front and displayed real energy, pace and willingness to run the channels. I think he could end up being a useful option for us this season and beyond.
Intense press
Right from the very first whistle, the players hunted in packs to win the ball from the opposition, especially immediately after we lost possession. It was such a refreshing change to see after the years of passive football on display under David Moyes’s leadership. In order to implement this style, Lopetegui will need a super fit group of players, and it’s clear to see they’ve all been put through their paces out in Austria. However, it wouldn’t surprise me one little bit to see the Spaniard move for a powerful box-to-box midfielder with high stamina levels before the transfer window closes next month – someone like Scott McTominay perhaps.
Gideon Kodua at right-back
The 19-year-old Hammers youngster has really impressed when playing for the under-21s over the past couple of years. Kodua has operated as a central striker, on both wings, in the number 10 position and even central midfield on the odd occasion. However, he has never played at right-back! The teenager put in a really hard-working performance, and despite lacking genuine quality at times, he never let his teammates, or his manager, down. Julen Lopetegui would have been impressed with the application showed by Kodua, and that performance will undoubtedly bode well for the youngster during the upcoming season.
Entire side 10 yards higher up the pitch
I touched upon the press and counter-press on display out in Austria but even from the start, the entire Hammers side were sitting 10 yards further up the pitch than what we saw under Moyes. When we began games under the Scot, we’d be camped out inside our own half, with our defenders sitting inside our own penalty area. This just encouraged the opposition to come on to us, and was a main reason behind the fact we conceded 74 Premier League goals last term. Starting the game higher up the pitch instantly shows your opponents that you’re actively trying to win the game. That’s a huge psychological swing in my book.
Luis Guilherme a long way off the finished article
The teenager joined West Ham from Palmeiras in the summer for around £25 million. The 18-year-old is a huge talent, there’s no doubting that, but he’s a long way off being the finished article. He has a lot to learn when it comes to playing at the very highest level. Guilherme’s movement was slack at times and the runs he was making were haphazard. In fairness to him though, he needs a few months to settle in to his new team and to get used to his new manager’s ideas. One thing I will say is that he certainly possesses the build required to succeed in the Premier League, and that bodes very well indeed for him.
It will be interesting to keep an eye on all of those five points mentioned above when West Ham play our next pre-season friendly against Dagenham and Redbridge on Saturday July 20th.
I expect the side to get better and better with every game that passes this summer, and Lopetegui is clearly getting them all ready for the tough Premier League campaign ahead.
READ ALSO:
Declan Rice makes it very clear who he thinks West Ham United’s best player is
West Ham now want to sign ‘explosive’ £50m star from Premier League giants
West Ham eye bargain summer window deal for £6m star who scored 6 PL goals last season
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
