Crisis can be the catalyst of change: West Ham certainly face a striker crisis at present. The well-documented season long absence for Michail Antonio plus Jarrod Bowen’s foot fracture mean the club are relying on a creaking Danny Ings and ‘unsettled’ Niclas Fullkrug, nether of whom can keep up with their own wingers right now.
When faced with a similar problem, David Moyes converted winger Marko Arnautovic into a striker with instant success: ‘Arnie’ went on to score 11 goals that season.
Those wishing to decry players being used ‘out of position’ should remember Michail Antonio, the club’s record goal scorer, was himself a ‘winger ..er.. right wing-back’- and I remember seeing him actually play as a right back when he first arrived from Nottingham Forest!
Unused Luis Guilherme has pace, once attributed to be as fast as M’Bappé. In last summer’s stats we checked when he signed for West Ham, he was officially the third or fourth fastest in the Premier League. And, he’s free, already paid-for. Steidten brought him into the club for £25 million in the summer.
Luis Guilherme – electric pace, overdue a chance to scare opposition defences!
His virtually un-noticed cameo against Liverpool could have ended with a goal: In just ten minutes he managed a run on goal and then hit the post with a decent shot. Difficult times call for brave decisions and he’d be perfect to play up-front alongside Kudus and Summerville as a pacy trio to hit Manchester City on the break.
Anything, frankly, is better than lining up with just two attackers as West Ham did against Liverpool. The carnage will be equally devastating if the Hammers try the same limp tactic and aim to defend for 90- minutes.
Lopetegui needs to be bold and leave Fullkrug as a substitute for this one: He has the mobility of a park bench. Guilherme needs to have this opportunity in the absence of Bowen and Antonio: we’ve all waited long enough to see him given a chance to run at opponents, alongside equally pacy forwards.
How refreshing would that be. Be brave, Julen, better to go down fighting, instead of watching a sluggish West Ham fail miserably, puffing and panting, chasing Manchester City all over the pitch as usual.
I remember Antonio as a great attacking wing back who score goals from that position. Such a shame he decided he wanted to be a striker. Could have been the highest scoring right back of all time. Might have played for England.
Whatever happens, sorry, will be a pasting – our static midfield will be overrun again by a City midfield although gifted, are hardly quick and teams with pace can cause them issues as proven.
But, they’ll all look like Usain Bolt against us
Think could be more of a humiliation than the Scousers 😩
I show much agree
We have these youngster.
It’s be demoralising for them when they are never used
As seen from game one , Lopetegui’s thing is obviously stupid decisions and so expect Westham to be embarrassingly over run again followed by some frantic substitutions . Sullivan involving Lopetegui in transfers now reveals that there is no intention to sack him whatever the results .
Its quite funny how you say those wishing to decry players being used ‘out of position’ should remember Michail Antonio, the club’s record goal scorer, was himself a ‘winger ..er.. right wing-back’- and I remember seeing him actually play as a right back when he first arrived from Nottingham Forest!
The reason I say its funny (when I really mean hypocritical), is because very recently you have been one of the loudest voices moaning (and decrying) about players being used out of position by Loopy!
Well that ain’t going to happen soppy is clueless
Yeah but…..SULLIVAN OUT
This has no chance of happening imo…loopy would never do it ..pointless
For me it’s glaringly obvious, Guillerme on the right, Summerville on the left, Kudos in his proper position at no.10 (stop p*ssing around with Paqueta, Soucek and Soler there) and Fulk’ up top.
100%. And played in the preferred position.
Too much sense. Any ‘expert’ would come up with this selection. Pity that West Ham don’t have any experts to think this way.
Spot on Ammers 66. Any chance of you getting a job in Julen’s ear?
No way is negative manager like loopy who won’t even play kudus in the right position gonna risk guilerme who he’s given no minutes this season so I like the sentiment but can’t see it happening
More embarrassing results coming up this week.
When we could defend we lost at city, doesn’t matter what team he puts out, this lot are spineless and have zero heart for the fight.
This could be the game man city get back to banging the goals . I’m going for city to win 7-1
Almost –
I’ve got a score on 7- 0, at 75/1
We seemed to have a number of promising youngsters 18 months ago but only a couple have got near the first team. Our desperate need for a centre forward or two is crucial so why not recall Callum Marshall from his loan spell at Huddersfield Town, he has scored 7 goals this season and helped Town into the playoff positions. Prolific scorer in the U18 team and full Northan Ireland International.
Just to set the record straight on Mikey Antonio. When he arrived in Slaven’s first season his favourite position was wide left cutting onto his right foot. He did also play as a wide right attacker
At the Euros which followed our farewell to the Boleyn Slav was a pundit and was impressed by Nathaniel Clyne as England’s right back
So the following season he tried to convert Mikey into Clyne mark 2 – this was a brief experiment that didn’t work (I remember Mikey being at fault for a goal conceded vs Chelsea) so the experiment was quickly abandoned
It is true that Moyes then converted Mikey into a striker – this was after COVID when Haller was injured
The proposed experiment with Guillerme might work but J Lo is unlikely to try it
I would say that it is not J Lo’s style but that would imply that he actually has a style
Mickey scored goals while he played right back. He just didn’t want to play there and we needed him further forward.
Genius, let’s keep playing players out of position as that’s worked so incredibly well, perhaps we should try soucek in goal
I think your comparing apples with oranges here Martin.
When Arnautovic came to West Ham from Stoke City he was already a player with a wealth of experience where is Guilherme hasn’t.
Mind you why not give him a chance against City,we haven’t got much to lose have we?
Arnautovic is a lump as well and he takes no prisoners
Kudus centre forward, Summerville and Guilherme on wings. Rodriquez and Fulkrug need to stay at home
JLo has no idea how he wants the team to play against Man City his only tactic if you can call it that is hit it long and hope Bowen and kudus can get a goal now he doesn’t even have that with Bowen out injured for the next 6 weeks or so . What will he do I expect he will go 11 behind the ball to try and stop Man City scoring other than that I can’t see him being brave enough to actually have a go at city it could end up worse than the Liverpool game
hear hear
Lopotegui is of the dinosaur variety of manager.
Bold decisions are not his thing.
Set-up to fail, get thrashed, and repeat. That’s more Loppys thing.
Expect Summerville and Guilherme to continue to be benched for the foreseeable.
Expect Alvarez and Rodriguez double pivot vs City.
yep….
did you mean double p***pot, instead of pivot?
I hope not…… or actually I do! I never want us to get done but I’m in the same place as last year with Moyes; just sack him, games are running out