West Ham were riding a wave for two years, but this season has seen them shoot back down to the lower end of the table. They’ve gone from a European semi-final to a relegation battle in just nine months. Let’s strip it back to basics. What threats do they possess, and how should they play?

Height:

West Ham are one of the tallest teams in the Premier League, with an average player height of 182.85cm. They’ve used this to their advantage when defending set pieces. David Moyes’ side have conceded just one goal from a corner this season.

However, going forward, they could do with some particularly innovative attacking set-piece routines. Studying the popular hybrid defence system used by most teams from set pieces in more depth could increase the number of goals they score from dead-ball situations.

While they prefer to be a possession-based team on the ball, they should be using their height when defending in open play.

One example of a long ball trap could be to leave a large gap between the front-five and back-five during an initial press. The front-five would do enough to deter a slow build-up from the opposition, while the space between West Ham’s defence and attack would encourage other teams to play a long ball into this area.

This would be effective because it would stop other teams from playing possession football, and West Ham would be confident their height and aerial dominance would be enough to win the first header. To ensure they retain the ball after winning it, they would have to create a compact structure with their back-five so that any knock-down will go to a teammate, and they can win the second ball.

World class defensive midfielder:

While his performances have dropped along with the rest of his teammates this year, Rice is now comfortably one of the five to ten best holding midfielders on the planet. His strengths lie in ball-winning, screening the defence, making driving runs with the ball, and providing pinpoint passing. The key to harnessing his ability is to give him as many passing angles as possible. Having teammates at different distances across the pitch means he can access all areas. The image below shows how he should always have support behind him, a couple of far outlets, and at least three close passing options.

When he gets on the ball, West Ham’s shape must be similar to that of Italy in 2006 and Spain in 2008. He’d be the Andrea Pirlo or Marcos Senna; protection from all angles — giving him time on the ball — with every player in passing range.

Target-man strikers:

David Moyes has been a fan of target-man strikers during his second stint at West Ham. The makeup of the rest of his team has made it logical to have one focal point No9 up front. West Ham haven’t got the best use out of this so far in 2023. The striker has been well-positioned as an outlet, but they’ve not had the movement required to make this player effective. It’s all about having runners off the ball and creating quality crossing opportunities.

Danny Ings and Michael Antonio have been effective at pinning defences, while the wingers drop in to assist with the progression of play. However, the occasional run into the false-9 pocket could help West Ham utilise the skills of their strikers and wingers. Ings could drop in, creating a four-man midfield, while the wingers use this as a trigger to make diagonal runs in behind. It would make them less predictable and prevent the Hammers from needing a No10 to play with their back to goal.

In creating crossing chances, West Ham should look at what Fulham do. They squeeze their central players narrow, which the opposition naturally react to (by doing the same). From there, quick switches and overlaps/underlaps can ensure that West Ham don’t get forced into a one-v-one wide battle. The full-back in the image below cannot commit to the player on the ball because the overlapping full-back has to be accessible too. The third-man run towards the edge of the box also takes the attention of defending players. This is how West Ham can create quality crossing opportunities.

Ball carriers:

West Ham are blessed with a few very proficient ball carriers. To allow themselves to enjoy this facet, they can afford to defend deep at times before snatching the ball and launching a counter-attack. Moyes has integrated this into their style of late, especially when his team line up in a 5-4-1, and it’s a tactic which proved lucrative in their Europa League run last season.