West Ham: Moyes must unleash his £19m “gladiator”
Move over Kurt Zouma, this dynamic ace will help to strengthen the Hammers’ defensive ranks.
Whisper it gently, but West Ham United may be primed for more success this season following several years of steady work under David Moyes’ guidance.
What about Declan Rice? You’re sold, right? No worries. The highly-coveted England international did indeed join title-chasing Arsenal in a £105 million transfer in July, capping a career with the Hammers that saw him rise through the club academy and serve as the midfield focal point for a prosperous period in their illustrious history, winning the Europa Conference League last season and maintaining a spot in European competition for three years now.
Rice is unquestionably brilliant, having already been lauded for his “outstanding” start to life at the Emirates Stadium by prominent journalist Henry Winter, but Moyes looks to have successfully replaced the midfield machine despite a slow start to the summer transfer window, suffusing the funds from his sale across the squad.
| West Ham summer signings | Transfer fee (via Sky Sports) |
|---|---|
| Mohammed Kudus | £38m |
| Edson Alvarez | £35m |
| James Ward-Prowse | £30m |
| Konstantinos Mavropanos | £17m |
| Sean Moore | N/A |
Tottenham Hotspur’s’magnificent seven’ is a prime example of a team that failed to effectively replace Gareth Bale, while Liverpool initially fell by the wayside after selling Luis Suarez to Barcelona for £75 million and replacing him with Mario Balotelli, Divock Origi, and Rickey Lambert.
How are West Ham playing?
West Ham have gone into overdrive this season, winning three consecutive Premier League games, including triumphs against Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion, after drawing with Bournemouth on the south coast to begin the season.
James Ward-Prowse has been a revelation thus far, with his technical talent shining brightly, scoring one goal and providing three assists in only three games since joining from relegated Southampton.
“Edson Alvarez deserves so much praise for how he orchestrated that move, looking to be a very shrewd signing,” remarked BBC journalist Jonty Colman, waxing lyrical about the holding midfielder bought from Ajax to fill the vacuum created by Rice’s departure, something he has done superlatively thus far.
The Irons have already shown their toughness this season, but with a meeting against Manchester City, last season’s Premier League champions and treble winners, the toughest test yet will be a true test of how Moyes’ men can hold up against the best.
The 3-1 victory over Brighton at the Amex Stadium last time out shows how West Ham has the blueprint to stop a team like Manchester City, who are perhaps the finest team in the world in terms of ball retention.
Having said that, the Seagulls have completed 2,471 passes in the Premier League this season, a figure only City and Chelsea have surpassed, with Roberto De Zerbi being tipped as a possible replacement to Pep Guardiola due to his tactical implementation.
Despite this, Moyes crafted a perfect display of counter-attacking football on the south coast, winning comfortably despite only yielding 22% of possession.
Noted for his side’s prowess on the break, United’s Scottish manager will be confident that City’s trip to the London Stadium will not be auspicious, utilising the likes of Jarrod Bowen, summer signing Mohammed Kudus and powerful forward Michail Antonio to great effect.
For this to work, however, the defence will need to be on their A-game; negating the threat of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and co is no easy task, but there’s a dynamic defender in east London who might be perfect against Guardiola’s imperious men.
How good is Konstantinos Mavropanos?
No, it’s not Kurt Zouma. Though the Frenchman has captained West Ham in all four games this season, scoring against Luton Town last time out, he has been superb this season and will undoubtedly be among the first names on the team sheet.
The upcoming match provides the ideal occasion for Konstantinos Mavropanos to re-announce himself to English football after being sold to German club Stuttgart on an initial loan agreement in 2021, with the move becoming permanent for around £5 million.
Mavropanos would make 89 appearances for his German club, scoring eight goals, distinguishing himself as a forward-thinking defender and a “gladiator” – as former boss Pellegrino Matarazzo complimented him.
The Greek titan’s particular combination of talents would be ideal to suppress the Citizen threat, with his technique and dynamism setting him apart from the lion’s share of centre-back quality across Europe, having completed a £19m transfer to West Ham this summer.
According to FBref, the £50k-per-week ace ranks among the top 8% of positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 11% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 10% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for interceptions, and the top 3% for aerial wins per 90 over the past year.
This lengthy list of qualities highlights his physicality, ball-playing ability, and creativity in possession – sort of the embodiment of a Guardiola centre-back, to be honest.
But why might the 6’3″ beast be the difference against the champions? Given that West Ham will spend little time on the ball this afternoon, a defensive component capable of initiating offensive transitions will be critical to that counter-attacking strategy.
Zouma is a very excellent defender, but he rates among the worst 1% of center-halves in terms of progressive passes and the bottom 3% in terms of progressive carries per 90, and this marriage of styles could pay off – after all, Mavropanos was bought for a reason.
Man City’s ability to be hindered is debatable, given their dominance in the Premier League, but Mavropanos, who is a relentless interceptor and dominant in the air, can prove to be a rock at the back and the distributor to the likes of Ward-Prowse, who may well serve as the conduit between the thirds at either end of the pitch.
It won’t be easy; the champs have won all four league meetings this season, and Haaland has been warming up wonderfully, scoring a hat-trick against Fulham last week to bring his season tally to six from four league games.
But Mavropanos could be the new weapon for Moyes’ outfit, and there is every chance that his inclusion could be a definitive factor in West Ham’s hopes of preserving their unbeaten start to the season.
