Slaven Bilic has admitted he’s struggling to play Chicharito in his ideal position.
The manager has taken much criticism for his decision to employ the Mexican in a wide role but admits in the current circumstances it’s desperately difficult to sort it out.
He said: “It’s very hard to please everyone. It’s very hard to put them as their ideal positions as two strikers (he and Carroll) who looks good on paper.
It’s easy to do but then it’s very hard to have three at the back. It’s almost impossible. But you want to have a lot of them on the pitch at the same time.
“Of course I’m thinking about that. Chicarito is playing in a position which is not his position. I spoke with him, he’s a great lad, he’s doing a job of course. That was a priority now we have to keep the stability.”
Bilic admits that Carroll will not be involved in tomorrow night’s match against Bolton Wanderers saying: “He ain’t going to play. We are managing him a little bit differently this season.
Maybe he would have been available for the Newcastle game but we had the international break so we gave him two more weeks. Now he is back, we will avoid having him play three times a week for 90 minutes.
“We are going to use every opportunity, not to rest him for the sake of resting, but to keep him fit long term.
“Of course we have to manage him. He looks good, he looks fit, he is training, hopefully he is going to last because that was his problem for ages.”
“
B
It aint difficult too understand is it.Bilic knows that he wants to play them as a front 2.He knows where Hernadezs best position is,he dont need telling.But if we are playing 3 at the back which we wanted it makes it more tricky.You don’t need to be Einstein to understand it.
I dont understand all this uproar.He played Pea as a striker for the first 3 matches,he knows where his frigging best position is 😁
There isnt an uproar really.Sam Allardyce saw it as a good way of operating the Huddersfield match.As you say it makes it trickier to do than a standard 4-4-2 if you want two front three back.
We are playing this system as a safety first option after the early setbacks and i can totally understand why Slav is doing it.No complaints from me.
Mate we have Cresswell and Zab as the supposed wing backs if we wanted to play 3-5-2.Cress has an allergy to defending properly and though Zab was the business against Huddersfield there aint no way he can keep up being a wing back all season.He will be on his last breath by Christmas in a 3-5-2 😁
3-5-2,Conte played it at Chelsea but i understand why Slaven says its difficult for us, not impossible though.
3-4-3 is exactly what we need right now and if Hernandez is willing then good for him.Arnautovic for Carroll or Chic is the only other option.But then we still have only one central striker.It will be interesting how it goes with Jewel back.
Im not sure we have the players for 3-5-2.Its a good system but needs discipline and are we going to have Ginge as our David Luiz striding out of defence.Fonte is comfortable on the ball but i doubt our players in a 3-5-2.
Who honestly believes Carroll will stay sound? I certainly don’t.I agree with Alan Pardew about resting Carroll between games. Bilic has shown me he doesn’t have an open mind and stubborn to the extreme with team placings.I also believe that this character flaw will be his ultimate undoing.IMHO
3-5-2
Hart GK
Reid CB
Fonte CB
Collins CB
Zabaleta RWB
Cresswell LWB
Kouyate CDM
Obiang CDM
Lanzini CAM
Hernandez ST
Carroll ST
Arnautovic and Antonio to come on as subs if the system doesn’t work.
One on for one of the strikers and the other on for on or the centre backs.
It can work.. you just have to make it.
This is exactly how I’d choose the team for 3-5-2 as well. However, I don’t like the look of a team that excludes Antonio, who I think is our standout player at the moment. You can see why Slav wanted him to work at right back, as it would solve a lot of problems, Antonio at RWB… but it turns out that it just doesn’t work…
I think a 4-4-2 suits us on attack, with Carrol and Hernandez up front, Arnautovic and Antonio on the wings, and Obiang and Lanzini in the midfield. However, we don’t have the defence for 4 across the back, and I wouldn’t want to test Obiang and Lanzini as a midfield if we were under pressure.
We have some good players, but they just don’t seem to fit together in any nice way.
Here Slav I’ve sorted it for you. Simples:
………………….Hernandez..Carroll…………………….
………………Arnautovic…………Antonio………………
Masuaku…………………………………………….Byram
…………………………….Obiang…………………………..
……………………Fonte…Reid…Zabaleta……………..
………………………………Hart……………………………..
Yea could do a 3 1 4 2. But would say if can do that Kouyate and Obiang should be able to cover back 4.
And depending on who we play can change to but I honestly think Sahko that a petulant child is a good striker and rounded him and Chicharito would make a good front 2 Antonios pace a d breaking defenders he can get it to them in box or rebound shots.
I just say AC as had 5 years Hart jumped Straight in I think Chicarito deserves is chance up front of just gonna play 1 and AC can play as sub bc Im sure Chicharito was expecting to play and all they have to do is get the ball atou d the box and he will found the goal.
So for me it is crazy not to play him and if front 3 Ant on right and Arnie on Left taking shots bc right footed Chic there for rebound. If we create and take chances I have faith Chicarito will see them thru for AC I don’t I see him holding up play well pushing thru. But we need to press and tale chances w Chicharito up front AC impact sub bc if can’t work them both Chicharito as to get the go ahead for me at least makes more sense get him gelling w team. And we when take chances he will poach did it twice against Southampton the only game we really took chances and pressed and that was w Antonio and Sahko
There is always an excuse with Bilic. We needed a goal scorer, so we go and get a natural finisher and then don’t play him where he will be of most effect but rather look to build the team around someone who does not score that many goals and whose fitness is seriously questionable. Bilic doesn’t need Sullivan he will do himself out of a job through his own actions.
Earlier posts are spot on, you just cannot play five at the back with two out and out strikers because your midfield is over-run and you can’t get the ball to said strikers. It ain’t rocket science. So, until AC has one too many and pulls a muscle on his way home from the pub, Bilic has his selection right. He has stopped us leaking goals with a back five (Rads is right – Cressie cannot defend and Zabbas legs wouldn’t last as wing backs), and we look far more solid. Perhaps there is scope not to play two pretty defensive midfielders like Obiang and Kuoyate in front of them but that’s through necessity currently and will change as soon as Lanzini is fit, meaning we will have more balance and someone who can feed the forward line. Challenge is where does Arnie fit into a 5-4-1 which is what we are really playing? Can’t drop Ants or Chic? Maybe Bilic should seek a dispensation from the PL and start with twelve, then we will all be happy!
You dont have to have a huge understanding of football to see why it is difficult for us setting up a 3-5-2 with the players we have.But eh Bilic doesnt know what hes talking about according to the fully badged up coaches.
The great thing about our fan formations and team selections..they never lose and function superbly with the players we choose…on paper anyway.
It’s lovely when you aint held accountable if it belly flops Lol
I wonder when Bilic bought Chicharito, exactly where he planned to play him. He must have been thinking playing a back four with two up top, but that has been so disastrous in the early games, that he has had to ramp up the defence with a five.
When Lanzini returns it will be interesting to see who misses out.
With Collins out, Rice should be at his natural CB position and be encouraged to bring the ball out.
I think you are correct Markro.He wanted to play a back four with two strikers but results have dictated a change in formation so we are now three at back.
Being a sofa supporter and former player of football manager this is an easy problem to solve
Gk hart, lcb zabaleta,cb fonte, rcb reid,
Lwb cresswell, rwb Antonio, cm obiang, cm kouyate, no 10 lanzini/Arnie with Chica and Carroll up top???
The same Antonio that can’t play wing back or is this a new one that can?
He weren’t a great right back that’s for sure but hasn’t had a run as a rwb and would have zaba inside of him to cover.
Don’t see why he couldn’t do the job like Trevor Sinclair did around 1999-2000
Probably one of the best West Ham teams of the last 20 years and was 352
Thought I had a short memory but ……….
Are we seriously advocating Bilic reverting Antonio to RWB here? You’re not the same guys who slated him for doing just that last year I guess? The world has gone mad.
He played right back not right wing back?