football.london’s West Ham United writer Jonty Colman has been answering your questions on all things West Ham.
The Hammers are in the mid-season break due to the World Cup, sitting 16th in the Premier League table and only a point clear of the relegation zone.
Here is the Q&A transcript in full, with topics including the future of manager David Moyes, links with Declan Rice and Chelsea, tactics, the World Cup, and more.
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Saf Bhatti: Behind the scenes, how secure is David Moyes?
I think he has got plenty of credit in the bank from his last couple of seasons and his form in Europe this season. You would think I’d the club were going to do something in the form of a change, but they would have already done so, given that this World Cup break is the golden chance to do so. You would think, though, that the next few games after Christmas are crucial. After Arsenal on Boxing Day, they face Brentford, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton. Off those four, you think at least eight or nine points had to be the target, with February looking very tough. In short, they are secure for now, but they can’t afford to miss too many more opportunities after Christmas.
Rikky Jordan: Will we see any tactical changes from David Moyes’ team set-up for the second part of the season?
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more of a 3-4-2-1/3-4-3 or just any three-at-the-back formation in league games. It was mentioned a lot at the start of the season, but I think injuries and absences have limited that being used. Also, some of the performances with it have not been good, although I think that may be more to do with who was being used and how rather than the system itself. Nayef Aguerd played for Morocco on Wednesday in a back three. I like the idea of him, Kurt Zouma and either Craig Dawson or Thilo Kehrer in a trio. It may also give Vladimir Coufal a route back in as a right-wing-back. It would also allow Lucas Paqueta to play in a midfield duo with Declan Rice and any combination of a front three ahead of them. Tactically, I think there needs to be more bravery, directness and creative flair to get the best out of these players.
Anonymous: The suggestion is that a deal for Declan Rice to Chelsea is already progressing. Is there any truth to that?
As far as I know, a lot of the noise is just speculation, bound to be expected during a World Cup when big players such as Declan Rice do not have the clearest of long-term futures. I would not be surprised if any future move to Chelsea or one of the other ‘big six’ eventually happens, but West Ham would certainly want to and be within their rights to, warrant a massive fee to part ways with their skipper. I think the biggest thinking this summer was to build a squad and have several players in the side of Rice’s calibre to try and prolong this run of success, attract big names and keep their current high-profile players in their squad. Regarding whether a deal is ongoing, I think a lot of it is just noise for now, which is expected when big tournaments occur.
John Petersen: Which West Ham player at the World Cup do you feel will perform best for their respective country?
I am very interested to see how Paqueta fares with Brazil in their opening game against Serbia later today. Aguerd did well for Morocco on Wednesday against Croatia, while Rice played a very under-appreciated and key role for England against Iran. A big surprise for me was seeing Thilo Kehrer not used by Germany, given Hansi Flick’s recent faith in him. Considering their loss to Japan, they may want to turn back to Kehrer. Rice probably tops the list for me, maybe Paqueta. It is definitely between the two. I think Paqueta and Aguerd will be better for playing in this tournament, regardless of how successful their respective countries are.
Laura Cox: Who would you start at right-back, Thilo Kehrer, Vladimir Coufal or Ben Johnson?
I would have said Kehrer, hands down, around a month/six weeks ago. West Ham’s best form came in October when Kehrer was playing at right-back in a back four with Zouma, Dawson and Aaron Cresswell. However, he has been less impressive recently. While I think he has done better than some have made out, there is still room for him to be replaced. I am interested to see how Vladimir Coufal is used after the break. He has been below his standards this term but has just had a good couple of games for Czech Republic in friendlies, with two assists and a clean sheet in those. Perhaps, if a move to three at the back is used, Kehrer may suit the right centre-back role and Coufal play as a wing-back. I still think Kehrer is technically very good. He just sometimes needs to be a bit tougher to beat and have a bit more attacking influence if right-back is where he is going to play.
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