Former England and Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has told West Ham United boss David Moyes he must be adventurous to get his side back in form.
West Ham currently sit 18th in the Premier League standings and have suffered five defeats in seven league games so far, the latest of which being a 1-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.
The Hammers have scored just three goals from seven league games this season, the joint-lowest alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers - their next opponents on October 1 after the international break.
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West Ham have spent around £160million on eight new signings this summer, including moves for playmaker Lucas Paqueta, winger Maxwel Cornet and striker Gianluca Scamacca from Lyon, Burnley, and Sassuolo respectively.
In order to get West Ham back in form and back scoring goals, Murphy has urged Moyes to be more adventurous and play more expansive football in order to benefit the trio of attacking arrivals.
“The way West Ham play, which has been consistent and has got them success, has to involve if he wants to integrate new people like Paqueta, because he needs the ball,” Murphy told talkSPORT. "He’s not particularly someone you are going to see the best of if he plays in a side that drops off teams and plays counter and sits deep because they went to Everton and they gave them too much respect.
“I know they are hard to beat and I know they work off a good foundation, he [Moyes] always has, so you can’t throw that out of the window, but there are certain games against certain opposition where you can be a bit more on the front foot. If you’re going to sign Cornet, Paqueta, people like Scamacca, I think they have to be a little bit more adventurous and try and play a little bit more on the front foot.
“Last season, what they did was phenomenal, but they were a bit of a surprise package for everyone. I don’t think too many people expected them to do as well as they did. I think other teams have now as always, seen the way they play and adapted when they now play West Ham, give them a bit more respect. I think that doesn’t help the situation because it’s a change when you are coming up against opposition who are now giving you respect.”
Murphy has also opened up a debate on who should play on the left wing for the Hammers out of regular starter Pablo Fornals and summer signing Cornet.
While Murphy does rate Fornals, he believes the attacking intent and quality of Cornet makes it better going forward to start the Ivory Coast international, although it may detriment Moyes’ side defensively.
“The problem he’s got is if he wants to play more possession-based football and if he wants to try and play through the lines and play on the front foot a little bit more and be a little bit more expansive, then he will be worried that he will then lose that defensive rigidity,” added Murphy.
“Let’s say Fornals, honest as a day is long, pops up with the odd goal, knows how to pop back in and do his defending, not bad on the ball, a decent player, fans like him but he’s never going to score you many goals and create as much as Cornet.
“But, is Cornet as defensively responsible as Fornals? Probably not, so where is the balance? When do you take the risk? When do you try and become a bit more of a team that dominates the ball? That is what I think is the dilemma he has got at the moment.”
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