There’s a game to be won on Saturday and West Ham will be without ‘Red Card’ Edson Alvarez in the crucial tie at home to Everton. The second red of this season for the Mexican shows a woeful lack of discipline and regard for his coach and team – mates.
Worse still it means there is a large gap to be filled in midfield.
Bad enough we have ‘only’ the out of form Lucas Paquetá who is so far away from his former self that he cries out to be dropped: Guido Rodriguez who trundles around without creativity and Tomas Soucek – if he’s better – who has the commitment to the cause but has well – documented shortcomings.
Footballfancast.com makes a case for radical surgery ands bringing in teenager Lewis Orford – which is both a pretty sad indictment of Rodriguez and Paqueta, along with an enticing opportunity for young Lewis to perform on the big stage.
Lewis Orford – time to shine?
The teenager should certainly make the bench- a toss up whether Andy Irving or Orford would be the better call but this can be a chance for Orford to show what he’s got.
West Ham certainly need the ‘Carrick / Rice hybrid’ style which he brings – just at present our defence needs a good tackler and reader of the game to sit defensively: Summed up by footballfancast.com “Orford could be the perfect hybrid of a progressive passer from deep, who is technically astute on the ball but can also protect the back line with high-quality defensive actions.”
Just about anyone would be an improvement on the current midfield. Bring back Potts and Earthy from their loan stints and then there is some competition for places and likely more desire and commitment than that exhibited by Paqueta, Alvarez, Rodriguez and Soler. I can live with getting beat week after week if the team try but half of the current squad exhibit nothing. At least the youngsters are likely to try. I remember Mark Noble being brought back from being on loan early when he was a teenager and whilst results didn’t get that much better we did have someone who was committed and covered every blade of grass and gave everything for the team.
After the next 2 games we will have no further points and be playing two 6 pointers against Leicester and Wolves that without some fight in the team are looking dangerous.
Every fixture is now a problem before at home to Everton you would be thinking a certain 3 points but team we have now I’m not sure anymore can somebody please tell me why we can’t sign a number 9 without baggage
Well if you brought in both Irvine and the young Lewis it wouldn’t be any worse than last weekend. The stats show that! So go on Lopy show you’ve got a pair and pick them both, but then he will want to play it safe as usual.
What’s with the constant character assassination, ?
Stick him in. He can’t do any worse than the donkeys we’ve currently got running round like headless chickens in midfield.
Declan Rice stated playing for West Ham at 18 but As we know Declan was an exception to the rule. Can Orford do it ? Maybe but that’s an awful lot of pressure on a young lad. It would be better to ease him in. Declan started with a substitute appearance at the end of the last game of the season if I remember rightly.
The youngsters play at a level that is a million miles away from the premier league. That’s why they go out on loan to championship clubs, to bring them up to that level.
We need to get the team defending properly as a unit and not have the midfield leaving the defence exposed. We’re not short on quality, it’s application we’re failing on. Any manager worth his salt should be able to sort it that we don’t concede three’s and fours, Big Sam made a living out of doing that.
Sad but true.
Underachieving squad that lacks leadership. Lope and Bowen don’t cut it.
Our fullbacks leave the defence exposed,?