Moyes must plug hole caused by loss of Ogbonna
Wolves
David Moyes did not need prompting to bring up the name of Angelo Ogbonna – missing injured as highflying West Ham United lost away for the first time this season.
The West Ham manager knew the impact of losing the Italy-capped, former Juventus defender for this match, and the Scot will be without him for many months.
“There was a bit missing,” he said. “A couple of players not really at the level they’ve shown, a couple coming back from illness. We just weren’t quite at the races, the first time playing without Angelo.”
“Champions League you’re having a laugh” was the chant from home fans at Molineux at the end of this contest, as West Ham’s defence were left vulnerable and cracked, leading to a 1-0 defeat.
To sustain a push for European qualification, squad depth is needed. West Ham play two away games this week, at Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday, then Manchester City on Sunday.
When West Ham fell short last season, Moyes stressed the impact of losing Declan Rice and Michail Antonio on his squad. Here, the manager was quick to underline how well the squad have coped with the schedule’s demands so far this season, when probed on it.
The sight of Ogbonna posting on social media from his hospital bed, after undergoing surgery, was not what he needed though. Moyes now needs to find defensive answers.
Craig Dawson had a poor game as a starting centre-back in place of Ogbonna, alongside Kurt Zouma, who was better but will also need to step up further. The full-backs, Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell, also had a hard time.
If it had not been for Rice’s alertness at times in front of them – and especially Lukasz Fabianski behind them – Wolves’ pressure could have yielded more goals.
How well Moyes can help plug the holes in defence will be key in deciding whether West Ham keep rubbing shoulders with the top dogs – or have to look over their shoulders at the likes of Wolves, hunting behind them.