West Ham need to find their identity ahead of trip to Southampton

West Ham need to find their identity ahead of trip to Southampton

West Ham United endured a disappointing result on the opening day of the Premier League season, although it was always going to be difficult to get a result against Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United at Old Trafford.

It still stands as a debut to forget for goalkeeper Joe Hart and full-back Pablo Zabaleta in particular, whilst attacking recruits Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic struggled to get into a game where the Red Devils dominated.

The Hammers now face a trip to Southampton this weekend and a response from Slaven Bilic’s side is needed. Whilst the fans will be hoping for a performance on the field, it’s behind the scenes where changes need to be made over the coming weeks in order for the club to move forward.

Since leaving Upton Park for the London Stadium, West Ham have struggled to find their identity at that was evident in their woeful campaign last season. Their style of play has never really been settled over the past few years and that needs to be resolved.



Of course, it’s difficult for West Ham to be firing on all cylinders when they’re without influential attacking duo Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio but the Hammers need to be prepared for absences throughout the course of the season, so need to find a system where others can fit in to make an impression.

The midfield trio of Mark Noble, Pedro Obiang and Edmilison Fernandes failed to make their mark in the game against Manchester United but the most crucial aspect was the fact they also failed to connect with the attacking trident, leaving West Ham’s attack very blunt.

An addition of William Carvalho will certainly help to provide the link from defence to attack but it doesn’t solve the issue of a potential absence for the Portuguese midfielder if he’s suspended or injured, so Bilic needs to tweak his system.

The return of Manuel Lanzini will also be crucial but the central players certainly need to step it up over the course of the coming weeks, as the likes of Antonio, Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic need to be provided with regular service.

Manchester United successfully cut the supply lines on Sunday and it left West Ham fighting a losing battle, which could see Southampton try to adopt a similar approach this weekend to keep the Hammers lacking.