Talking Tactics: Moyes must steady the ship at West Ham

West Ham just can’t seem to get going this season — and manager David Moyes must find a solution fast.

The Hammers enjoyed a memorable 2021-22 campaign, finishing seventh in the Premier League as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Their squad was bolstered with eight new arrivals this summer, yet the Irons sit 18th this term, with just one win from their seven games so far.

Ahead of his side’s clash with Wolves, we take a look at how Moyes can steady the ship in East London.

Blunt Hammers

The most glaring area of concern for West Ham this season has been their profligacy going forward.

They have scored just three Premier League goals in their opening seven outings and only two from open play — the worst records in the division.

On a positive note, the Hammers have taken a respectable 79 shots but the quality of their finishing has been woefully poor.

Moyes’ men have hit the target with only 22 of their efforts, while a total of four big chances created is only higher than Bournemouth.

None of their three new attacking signings, Gianluca Scamacca, Lucas Paqueta and Maxwel Cornet, have played more than 200 minutes in the league yet.

Their integration could add some much-needed sharpness to a blunt attack.

Unimaginative

The quality of shooting on display at West Ham is not the sole problem behind the Hammers’ lack of goals.

Those tasked with crafting opportunities must take a share of the blame given the poor creative numbers they are posting.

The Londoners have registered a joint league-low two assists from open play and rank bottom of the division for take-ons attempted and completed.

They have also attempted passes into the final third on just 723 occasions, completing 480 — the 16th and 14th-best tallies in the Premier League respectively.

Moyes must encourage his side to play the ball into dangerous areas more frequently.

Bad decisions

Moyes was particularly scathing of his side’s showing after their 1-0 defeat to his former club Everton last time out.

The Scottish manager, 59, called out his players for failing to meet previous standards but also admitted it was his responsibility to get them back to their best.

He said: “We are trying to put new players in, to get the best out of them and find out a bit about them. But [here] I found out little bits, mainly about the players I already knew about.

“They were the players in the main who let me down with their play overall. The players who played last year are down on their level as well.

“We had shown signs we were getting back to it recently but I don’t think we did here. When we got anything in the final third it was nearly always the wrong decision.

“I could just sense we needed new players. A lot of those players we are talking about played today and I have got to say I need them and I need them to play at their best.

“I’m the one who takes responsibility and I’ve got to get those players back at that level quickly. Hopefully, we will do that.”

Lacking confidence

After such a poor start to the season, the Hammers squad may well be bereft of belief — which, in turn, is further hampering already poor performances.

An aforementioned collective unwillingness to run at their opposite numbers may well be evidence of a lack of confidence.

Somehow, Moyes must find a way to inspire them once again and help them return to the levels they displayed last term.

Sitting deep

West Ham’s reluctance to operate in more advanced areas may well be the root cause of their attacking struggles.

Whether by design or not, Moyes’ men frequently find themselves in their own third of the pitch.

They have won possession in the defensive third 187 times — the fifth-most of any team in the Premier League — but they rank 16th and 17th for possessions won in the middle (129) and attacking thirds (25).

Additionally, their 3,809 touches also ranks 16th in the division, demonstrating an inability to control games with the ball.