Signing Lucas Paquetá Erases West Ham's Slow Start
West Ham’s narrow victory over Aston Villa created more questions than it answered.
David Moyes implemented a five-player defence and paired Gianluca Scamacca with Jarrod Bowen in attack, masterminding the dullest first-half performance in the sport’s history.
“We just felt that we weren’t doing well enough at half-time, so we changed it and decided to do what we thought was right,” Moyes told reporters at Villa Park, referencing his decision to replace Emerson Palmieri with Saïd Benrahma at the interval.
“We got more of the ball, we controlled a little bit of the game and gave ourselves a better opportunity to make chances, which we did.”
Returning to their favoured formation – a 4-2-3-1 – made the difference for West Ham after the break, with recent arrival Thilo Kehrer raving about the impact of the switch.
“In the second-half, we had better positions to play the ball,” the German explained. “We also had better positions to defend. We were more compact and made less channels for Aston Villa to play through.”
Moyes has occasionally experimented with five-at-the-back formations, albeit without success or evidence of attacking intent. West Ham’s first-half display underlined the limitations of their backup plan, sandbagging an already slow squad.
However, a win is a win and there are reasons to be optimistic about the team from East London following the arrival of Lucas Paquetá.
The 25-year-old penned a five-year contract at London Stadium on Monday [29 August], departing Olympique Lyonnais after two successful seasons in Ligue 1.
Paquetá, a 33-cap senior international for Brazil, is expected to play an important role for his country at the Qatar World Cup, floating between the lines to receive possession in the final third.
Despite amassing plenty of experience in the wide areas and as a false nine, Paquetá is at his best when deployed in central or attacking midfield.
He demonstrated his ability to make high-end plays in a 3-0 win over Sparta Prague last November, directing a one-time backheel into Karl Toko Ekambi’s path on the counterattack:
In a 2-0 win over AS Monaco last November, Paquetá threaded a delicate pass into the penalty area to force the concession of a penalty kick:
Also of note: the former Flamengo star knows where the net is. Paquetá scored the match-winner in a crucial Europa League clash versus FC Porto in March, stroking the ball into the far corner with absurd composure:
It is easy to see why scouts at West Ham fell in love with the Brazilian: he is the high-event midfielder they have needed for a while. Paquetá, unlike Tomáš Souček, always makes himself available to receive the ball and boasts a high level of press resistance.
Moreover, he accumulated 13 goals and seven assists in 4,305 minutes of playing time for club and country last season. He also completed 81.5 percent of his passes and won 59.4 percent of his defensive duels.
“He’s a player I’ve admired from afar for a very long time and of course, we saw him close up in our Europa League campaign last season,” Moyes explained. “He’s a very talented footballer and whilst he will need time to adapt to the Premier League, we’re excited about adding another proven international to our squad.”
If used correctly, Paquetá could transform West Ham’s season, overwriting the club’s forgettable start to the campaign with flair, confidence, and intelligence.
There is no time to waste, Mr Moyes: unleash your record signing. Now.
Lucas Paquetá is West Ham’s eighth arrival of the summer, following:
Thilo Kehrer Will Bring Versatility In Bucketloads To West Ham
Born in Brentwood, Made in the EFL: How Will Flynn Downes Help West Ham?
Guess Who’s Back? Alphonse Areola Joins West Ham (Permanently, This Time)
If you’d like to learn more about West Ham’s latest signing, I have good news!
I wrote a feature-length analysis of Lucas Paquetá for Breaking The Lines earlier this week, covering every twist and turn in his impressive career. It’ll be online soon.