David Moyes may need to alter West Ham United formation to accommodate returning Danny Ings
Despite West Ham United fans looking forward to Danny Ings’ return to full fitness, his position in David Moyes’ plans in the long-run remains a mystery.
The 30-year-old completed his £15million switch from Aston Villa to the London Stadium last month but was sidelined shortly after making his debut for the Hammers against Everton.
After returning to the match-day squad and coming off the bench for Michail Antonio against Newcastle, it looks like Moyes could be set to unleash the proven Premier League striker in the coming weeks.
However, Moyes and Ings don’t seem to sing from the same hymn sheet on the face of things, and the Scottish manager may need to alter his side’s tactical set-up to accommodate the club’s recent signing.
This season, West Ham United have either used a 4-3-3 or a 5-2-3 formation, with both set-ups featuring just one out-and-out centre-forward. Gianluca Scamacca has often been deployed as this sole striker, with his tall, physical build making him the perfect type of player to fulfil Moyes’ needs.
However, throughout his career, Ings has never succeeded in this sole striker position, with the most successful stints of his career at Southampton and Burnley coming in a front two.
The ultimate reason for his lack of game time at Aston Villa was his inability to thrive as a lone centre-forward, with the Englishman at his best when he can feed off a target man. Often under Steven Gerrard, Ings was tried as a figurehead in a 4-3-3 formation, and he struggled to impact proceedings.
If Moyes really wants to get the most out of his January recruit, he must pair him alongside either Antonio or Scamacca in a front two and let Ings feed off the scraps like he so often has during his career.
He is a proven Premier League goalscorer when played in the correct formation, and Moyes must alter the way he sets his side up when he has a full complement of attackers to choose from.