Dimitri Payet has admitted he prefers West Ham having more possession of the ball during games, but concedes the Hammers' new system is paying off.
West Ham coach Slaven Bilic reverted to a three-man defence - with his team playing in either a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1 set-up - seven games ago after a poor start to the season saw the Hammers win just two maches in all competitions before October.
The switch in formation has worked - with West Ham having lost just two games in their last eight matches, including a hardfought 1-1 draw away to Manchester United on Sunday.
Payet admitted after that game that he prefers the way West Ham played last season but conceded that such a style should be reserved for when the Hammers begin moving up the Premier League table and away from the relegation zone.
Speaking to West Ham's official website, Payet said: "Obviously when the results aren't going your way it's difficult to find too much joy in the matches.
"We've had a little less of the ball than we enjoyed last season, but that's all part of the challenge at this stage and we need to accept that and we need to keep working hard.
"As I said, all it's going to take is a little bit of a good run to move us up the table and that will allow us to play with a bit more freedom.
"When you come to a place like Old Trafford you have to defend and the system is in place for perfectly good reasons.
"I'm happy right now because the decision has paid off, but yes, of course, I am more happy with the ball."
