OPINION
West Ham did some exceptional business this summer. The likes of Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals look as if they will actually elevate the Hammers’ squad to a point where they night realistically challenge for a European football spot come the end of the campaign. That being said, there are still a couple of areas of the field that look as if they could do with strengthening. One in particular, arguably, is the left-back position. Arthur Masuaku looked as if he had begun to make that role his own towards the end of last season, but his extended absence over the summer due to the African Cup of Nations meant that Aaron Cresswell got the nod for the Irons on the opening day against Manchester City. Not only that, but Manuel Pellegrini saw fit to give him the captain’s armband as well in the absence of injured skipper Mark Noble. But on the basis of his performance in the 5-0 defeat to the defending champions, you have to wonder whether Chilean will be making that decision again. For much of the game, Cresswell was given the runaround by the electric Riyah Mahrez and Kyle Walker, and there were large spells when he looked completely out of his depth. Perhaps that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Last term, Cresswell managed 1.5 tackles per game, as well as 1.2 interceptions, as per Whoscored, but he also started fewer than half of the Hammers’ Premier League matches in an injury hit campaign. The rustiness that comes with a hampered run in the side was evident on Saturday lunchtime, and unless he can sharpen up soon, Cresswell could end up becoming a liability.
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