Worse than Diop: Moyes must now brutally axe West Ham's £38k-p/w "shocker" v Brentford - opinion

West Ham United will make the short trip across the capital to West London to take on Brentford this afternoon as the Hammers look to consolidate their place in the Premier League’s top six.

The Hammers are currently sixth in the top-flight but only on goal difference with Manchester United level on points in seventh.

As well as eyeing a top-six finish, David Moyes’ side are still competing in Europe with the East London outfit securing a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Lyon on Thursday.

Moyes deployed a largely strong side, however, the inclusion of Ryan Fredericks was a mistake that proved evident in the French side’s equaliser and can’t be repeated at the Brentford Community Stadium today.

West Ham are blessed when it comes to numbers at right-back, with Vladimir Coufal, Ben Johnson and Fredericks all very much a part of the first-team picture.

Coufal has often been the first-choice pick of the trio over the past two seasons, however, having recently returned from a groin injury, the Czech Republic international was kept on the bench on Thursday night.

That ultimately proved to be a mistake with Fredericks struggling on the big European stage; even Johnson would’ve been a better shout.

Against Lyon, the Englishman completed just over half of his passes with a 58% accuracy whilst losing possession on 20 occasions and completing zero crosses or long balls.

The 29-year-old has been labelled the Irons’ worst defender, a bold claim given the discontent within the fanbase regarding Issa Diop’s performances this season.

Moreover, according to SofaScore, the £38k-per-week right-back has been West Ham’s worst performer this season with an average Premier League rating of 6.42, having