West Ham struggling to make possession count

[BBC] [Getty Images] West Ham are facing a key issue that we have seen in the past - a struggle to dictate games when we have the majority of possession. The stats from the Charlton Athletic game paint a picture of a side that was organised and dominant, with 77.6% possession and a total of 43 touches inside the opposition box. Despite these flattering figures, the 2-1 loss and the reaction from fans provided a very different picture. Unfortunately, many of our 665 passes were played safe, meaning we were unable to break through Charlton's lines. From the stands, we watched as the ball was played in a U-shape between our defenders for long periods of time, alongside very little movement off the ball. The departure of Mateus Fernandes was one we thought would cost us creativity and, unfortunately, our start to life in the Championship has shown we are definitely missing players who want to carry the ball and catch teams quickly on the break. But this is not the first time we have seen this pattern. Since the David Moyes days, we have received criticism around our inability to play well on the ball. Instead, playing on the break has often been our best way to pick up points. One of the biggest frustrations from fans so far this season has been the lack of urgency when we do have the ball, particularly in the first 70 minutes against Charlton, it felt as though players passed the ball back and forth, with no intention to deliver it into the box or cause trouble for defenders. This is something we have to fix urgently. In the Championship we are going to see more of the ball than previous seasons, so we must find a way to break down teams and get points from effective build-up play. The biggest takeaway so far has been that the division will not be straightforward to navigate and we have a lot of work to do. With 25 shots against Charlton and nine on target, as well as a missed penalty, it is clear we need to be less wasteful with the chances we get. As well as needing more urgency in attack, we also have work to do defensively, giving two goals away far more easily than we should have. There is hope. We have a long season ahead but unfortunately for head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, our early results this season have piled on the pressure, but all is not lost. The goal is simple - we have to fix these issues before we drop any more points.