On the surface, West Ham United’s fight for survival in the Premier League looks like a tactical battle.
But according to Sam Allardyce, the real problem might be far more basic—and it’s something he “hates” about the modern game.
The Tactical Issue No One Is Talking About
Speaking openly, Allardyce didn’t hold back on his criticism of Nuno Espírito Santo’s current system.
His biggest frustration? Wingers who refuse to cross.
In today’s game, wide players like Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are often cutting inside, looking for goals rather than creating them.
To Allardyce, that’s completely backwards.
He believes wingers should be doing one thing above all else: delivering the ball into the box.
“Just Cross the Ball!”
Drawing from his own time in charge of West Ham, Allardyce pointed to a very different approach.
Back then, players like Matt Jarvis and Stuart Downing were instructed to forget about scoring—and focus entirely on supplying crosses for a target man like Andy Carroll.
It was simple. Direct. Effective.
And in his eyes, it’s exactly what West Ham are missing today.
The Numbers Back It Up
The stats paint a worrying picture.
- Bowen averages just 0.6 crosses per game
- Summerville even lower at 0.4
For a team relying on a central striker like Taty Castellanos, that lack of service is a huge problem.
In fact, Castellanos has failed to register a shot on target in nearly half of his Premier League appearances.
The connection is hard to ignore.
A System That’s Hurting the Striker
Under Nuno, West Ham’s attackers are encouraged to get into scoring positions themselves.
That has helped boost individual goal returns—but it’s come at a cost.
The traditional supply line from the wings has almost disappeared.
And without consistent crosses, a striker like Castellanos is being left isolated.
The Old-School Fix
Allardyce’s solution is clear: go back to basics.
- Play wingers on their natural sides
- Deliver early crosses
- Feed the striker consistently
It may sound outdated in today’s tactical world—but it’s a formula that has worked time and time again.
With Adama Traoré potentially coming into the side and Summerville dealing with injury concerns, there may be an opportunity for West Ham to try something different.
Survival Could Depend on It
As the pressure builds in the relegation battle, every tactical decision becomes critical.
West Ham have goals in their team—but are they using the right system to get the best out of it?
Allardyce clearly doesn’t think so.
And if he’s right, one simple change—something as basic as crossing the ball more often—could be the difference between survival and disaster.
Final Thought
Modern football may have evolved, but sometimes the simplest ideas still matter most.
West Ham are chasing survival.
But according to Sam Allardyce, they might be overthinking the very thing that could save them.
