WEST HAM 2020/21 - a thread

this cute thread looks to provide an overview of how West Ham’s formations have shaped them into the unit they are now

hope you enjoy! discussions are welcome!

#FPL #FPLCommunity

AT A GLANCE

Position (as of 26/3/2021):
14 won, 7 draws, 8 losses
45 goals, 7th (drawn with Leeds)
Conceded 35 goals
Kept 10 clean sheets (7th)
4th best team for most goals inside the box (43)
Only awarded 2 penalties this season (17th)

CONTEXT

David Moyes returned to West Ham towards the end of 2019 after Pellegrini left the Hammers at a near relegation 17th spot. Moyes did enough to keep them in the Prem with a 16th finish.

An interesting point of discussion are the formations used by Moyes.

FORMATIONS HISTORY

The opening loss to Newcastle using a 4-2-3-1 resulted in Moyes reverting to a 5-4-1. With the fluid support of the attacking wingbacks in Masuaku and Fredericks, this provided width for the midfield 4, with Rice and Soucek having defensive duties...

...as well as the freedom to contribute to the attack, supporting wingers Fornals and Bowen, while looking for Antonio for goals. Defensively, Ogbonna and Balbuena offered stability alongside Cresswell, who occasionally was able to provide in the attack with his sublime delivery.

Early injuries to Fredericks in gw3 allowed for the introduction of Coufal to contribute to the right flank.

The back 5 shape provided defensive structure and the attacking width of overlapping wingbacks, stretching defenses while maintaining a compact shape when defending.

The injury of Antonio right around gw7 forced Moyes to adopt a 3-4-3 shape, working without the presence of a lone striker.

This consisted of the same back 3, but pushed the wingbacks into the wide men of the midfield 4.

This pushed the wingers up into the attacking 3, while Sebastien Haller made his contributions in the central attacking zone.

This formation was very short-lived. With the injury of Masuaku in gw12 and Fredericks lacking fitness, the West Ham favorite 4-2-3-1 was deployed.

Diop’s return put him alongside Ogbonna as the center halves, while Cresswell and Coufal provided the width in the attack while fulfilling defensive duties on the wings.

West Ham’s prized possessions in the form of their two defensive midfielders Soucek and Rice...

...worked well to gel between the defense and the attack.

The addition of Benrahma provided attacking flair between Fornals and Bowen on the wings, looking to get the ball to Haller who remains in Antonio’s spot.

This formation alone has been deployed 14 times, with...

8 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses. It was also the period of time when Soucek began finding goalscoring form, quite unheard of from typical defensive mids. During this time, he scored 7 goals, the most of any West Ham player.

Most of these goals came from set pieces, or when he...

...would make late runs into the opposition’s box and have a shot at goal.

Antonio’s return from injury, as well as Haller’s departure, made him the standout option in dgw19, scoring two goals and claiming an 18 point haul.

Injuries have not fared too well for West Ham, with Masuaku still out, Diop’s head injury midway, Ogbonna’s injury since gw24, and Balbuena sidelined since gw26.

Craig Dawson emerged to provide defensive stability in the back 4, doing well to keep 6 clean sheets as well as...

...score 3 goals in the process.

Lingard’s introduction in gw22 had an immediate impact in the West Ham side. A creative youngster with a desire to score goals and contribute to the team, the stats from @bigmanbakar says it perfectly:

Average xG per game: 1.59 v 1.36
Big chances per game: 2.50 v 1.82

He is also a man in red-hot form, scoring 5 in his last 7 (not including the united game). He is aided by a West Ham side that look more unified.

This is the most recent formation that we’ve seen West Ham adopt, with subject to the rotation of the wingers.

Part of the success that West Ham have seen this season comes from their unity in defense, where the back 4 drop very narrow, and the defensive mids patrol...

...the central spaces in front of the backline.

While the entire team is commendable for the improvement in form, let’s take a look at the positioning of several key players:

DECLAN RICE

Following the leadership footsteps of Mark Noble, Rice continues to impress...

...as a box-to-box runner, supporting the defense and commanding the space in front of the backline.

We also see him contribute to the attack yet providing a safe option to pass back to if options up front aren’t available.

TOMAS SOUCEK

Soucek offers a similar heat map with that of Rice’s; however, we see that he is more involved with touches inside the opposition’s box.

West Ham’s aerial threat is dangerous with the likes of Dawson, Ogbonna, Balbuena, and Soucek, so it’s no surprise...

...that he establishes a presence in the opponent’s box. Like Rice, he performs box-to-box duties, providing defensive support while offering options in attack.

AARON CRESSWELL and VLADIMIR COUFAL

One key aspect of West Ham’s style of play is to look for the wide men, either in the overlapping fullbacks Coufal or Cresswell or the wingers of Fornals/Benrahma or Bowen. This stretches defenses and allows for the...

...central players like Lingard and Antonio to make runs in dangerous areas.

On the flip side, we also see from the heat maps that, while Coufal and Cresswell stay wide in attack, they also defend narrow when opponents are in possession.

At times, the back 4 tuck into a...

...narrow defensive line, not allowing any runners to get through the center. While this happens, the wingers return and tuck into the wings to track long balls fed out wide, almost forming a back five sometimes.

This is a noteworthy point to make as the team shows their...

...discipline in defending and attacking as a solidified unit, and fulfilling their roles as necessary.

CONCLUSION

Moyes has solidified the defense to build confidence in the side, while also enabling the attack to find opportunities. Injuries may have plagued the...

...Hammers, but the adaptability of personnel allow for consistency. European cup qualification should be a huge motivator for West Ham to continue their form.

And, as for FPL, the assets have provided intriguing options for managers to choose from.

Thank you for reading!