OPINION
The return to action for West Ham United defender Winston Reid couldn’t have come at a better time for the Irons.
Reid captained New Zealand on Thursday evening against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin and completed 45 minutes before being substituted at half time.
Danny Hay confirmed that after the 3-1 defeat at the Aviva Stadium, the experienced defender will return to the London Stadium, not because of injury but an agreement that was put in place with the Hammers.
When asked on Twitter if Reid’s return on Thursday could give the Hammers a big defensive boost, reliable club source, ExWHUemployee responded on his personal Twitter account to shoot down that claim in the near future.
The club source shared that the Hammers’ enforcer is still a long way away from returning to full match fitness, therefore his return to action could be further away than expected.
Of course, the experience of Reid could give the West Ham defence a massive boost moving forward this season, but after only playing for the under-23s and one half for his country, Manuel Pellegrini will be conservative in his approach.
West Ham are winless since September in the Premier League, and that has seen them drop from third down to the edge of the relegation zone, and changes are certainly needed.
Their back-to-back defeats against Burnley and Newcastle highlighted how fragile their defence is, conceding three goals against teams that aren’t exactly known for being free-scoring in the top flight.
Reid would be a welcome return in East London, and he could get his defence into shape moving forward by being named in the back-four, but based on ExWHUemployee’s injury update, that seems to not be as close as one first thought.
Thursday’s return to action surely counts for little now for the New Zealand international, who needs to keep his head down and focused on continuing his rehabilitation.
