Fast and Furious – The Preferred Option

It seems universal now that West Ham watchers are all singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to how we need to evolve. Following different starting XI’s each game, and that ‘let down’ when the team sheet was announced against Fulham, there does seem a consensus that the personnel are in place, just not on the pitch!

Something in a new Head Coach makes them stick to ‘tried and tested’ deployments and systems until they go behind: Lopetegui at least changed the side at half time in a most un-Moyes like admission that he’d got it wrong. We immediately looked more threatening.

Probably Roshane Thomas in the Athletic sums it up best in his post entitled ‘ Its time for West Ham to unleash Crysencio Summerville’. Echoing what thousands of us can see when the ‘old’ way is tried with Antonio, or indeed Fullkrug when fit playing in between Bowen and Kudus, this formula doesn’t work and never has used our resources best.

I try to resist being an armchair expert but when the NY Times publishes an article demanding a front three of Bowen, Kudus on the right and Summerville on the left – I’m in good company and can’t resist writing my own article to support the layout. Bowen plays for his country now, centrally, for heavens sake..

How refreshing would that ‘Fast Threesome’ be? And how difficult to defend? Rule one, do what your opponent likes least!

What is clear is that if we try to line up with that same 11 who started against Fulham on Saturday lunchtime, it won’t be a 1-1 score by the end of 90 minutes. And I’ll be back to hiding behind the sofa again.