West Ham United supporters have been treated to another rollercoaster of a campaign under David Moyes and there is much to fight for heading into the business end, with it all to play for in the Premier League and out on the continent.
Seventh in the standings, three points behind Manchester United, West Ham have made a pleasing resurgence domestically after finishing 14th last year and selling Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m.
Also, having won last year’s Europa Conference League, the Hammers are fighting in the Europa League and face Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals next month, with Xabi Alonso’s side unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Most of the signings made since the end of last season have been effective, but one player who has unquestionably struggled to perform is Kalvin Phillips, who fell from prominence at Manchester City and saw a route to east London as a route toward resurgency.
Halfway through this stint, it has been anything but…
Why it’s gone wrong for Kalvin Phillips at West Ham
Phillips joined Manchester City from Leeds United in a £45m package in 2022 and won the treble in his maiden campaign, though starting just two Premier League matches – both coming in May – and being labelled “overweight” by Pep Guardiola hardly spoke of success on a personal level.
Fortunes did not improve during the current campaign and, if it wasn’t already, it became crystal-clear that the England international needed to leave the Etihad fold, and with Moyes’ side in need of some extra bodywork in the centre of the park, a loan move was organised – with discussions over a permanent transfer anticipated to follow during the off-season.
However, the 28-year-old has nosedived, going from paltry match action to chastening displays on the field, making a streak of errors in his first matches against Bournemouth and Manchester United.
He’s now chalked up six Premier League performances for United but was an unused substitute during the recent draw against Aston Villa, having been withdrawn at half-time against relegation-threatened Burnley the match before, 2-0 down and later branded with a 3/10 match rating by The Evening Standard’s Malik Ouzia, with the reporter writing:
‘Another rotten afternoon. Started slowly, failed to close Fofana for the opener and then dragged at half-time.’
It’s hardly likely that West Ham will be eager to fork out a sum to bring him to the club for good, and especially so when a homegrown talent such as George Earthy now sits on the cusp of a regular role in the first-team.
Why George Earthy could be a star at West Ham
19-year-old academy star Earthy made his senior debut off the bench during West Ham’s 5-0 thrashing over Freiburg in the Europa League this month, also sitting on the bench during three of the club’s last four Premier League outings, still yet to grace the field.
A creative, forward-thinking midfielder, Earthy has been lauded for his “brilliant” displays by club insider ExWHUemployee and boasts a stunning return of eight goals and seven assists from 18 fixtures in the Premier League 2 this season, of which the young Hammers are placed second
Moreover, the teenager is blessed with elite technical quality and this is evidenced through his efforts in the EFL Trophy this term, complementing a four-goal-contribution return from five games with a 90% pass success rate and an average of three ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.
Earthy has everything that he needs to blossom into a real star on the Premier League scene, and while he will never have the raw defensive talent of Phillips, Edson Alvarez is as good as any in the holding midfield position and his ability on the ball could blend wonderfully with the Mexican’s tough-tackling expertise.
There simply isn’t space for a player who would cost a pretty penny, earns a healthy salary at £150k-per-week and is actually having a detrimental effect on West Ham’s fluency and spark.
A dynamic midfielder of Earthy’s potential, however, deserves a shot, featuring regularly and sharpening his tools as he edges closer toward a starring spot in the club’s ranks.
