The West Ham United left-back has under-performed so far this season.
West Ham United’s struggles this season are not solely the fault of manager Slaven Bilic, with some of the Hammers’ most experienced players delivering sub-par performances just when calm heads are needed most.
While Mark Noble continues to generate the vast majority of criticism, defender Aaron Cresswell has been poor all season and the argument to replace him with super-sub Arthur Masuaku is gathering pace.
However there is one significant reason why the 27-year-old cannot afford to have a terrible year and that is the upcoming World Cup.
For now the West Ham defender remains a part of Gareth Southgate’s plans, featuring in the recent qualifier against Lithuania, yet that will only remain the case if he performs well between now and May, with rivals for his position likely to up their own games as a consequence of the fast-approaching tournament.
Simply put, Cresswell cannot afford to play so poorly in the months ahead, especially with Masuaku coming off the bench in recent matches to set up goals against both Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City.
At his best, Cresswell is one of the finest left-backs in the country. However West Ham fans have not seen that version of the player for quite some time.
You can rest assured Southgate will be watching West Ham’s matches closely, and provided he is not dropped in favour of Masuaku on the other side of the international break, he needs to up his game both considerably and consistently.
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