Exclusive: McAvennie delivers verdict on West Ham formation, wants Antonio to start v Villa
We’re delighted to welcome former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the London Stadium…
West Ham may have enjoyed a strong start to the Premier League season but Frank McAvennie isn’t a massive fan of the system that David Moyes is playing.
After losing to Newcastle on the opening day, Moyes switched his formation to a 3-4-2-1 that has helped secure wins over Wolves, Leicester, Fulham and Sheffield United and draws against Tottenham and Manchester City.
West Ham have won their last two matches with Sebastien Haller starting up front in the lone striker role but Michail Antonio could return from his injury on Monday when Aston Villa visit the London Stadium [Metro].
McAvennie wants to see Antonio start but doesn’t see why Moyes cannot play a formation with two strikers so the 30-year-old can play alongside Haller after he netted the winner at Sheffield United last week.
“He’ll play Antonio, I think,” McAvennie told West Ham Zone in an exclusive interview.
“It’s a defensive formation but I would like him to play two strikers.”
One of the biggest changes Moyes made when he switched up his formation was to play traditional left-back Aaron Cresswell as a left-sided centre-back.
McAvennie believes the more defensive role has helped Cresswell some of the mistakes in his game.
The ex-Hammers striker added: “He’s doing alright. I like Cresswell, he’s got pace but I think he gets caught out a lot.
“Some defenders think they’re wing-backs but they forget to defend. Maybe that’s what has helped Cresswell because playing in a back-three holds him back a bit more.”
Although Cresswell is playing in a back-three, he’s still allowed to burst forward down the left when West Ham are in possession.
According to stats by WyScout, Cresswell ranks sixth in the Premier League for expected assists [2.18].
You don’t get an xA number like that by sitting in the back-three all the time.
In other West Ham news, Mark Lawrenson has predicted the result of the Hammers’ clash against Aston Villa.