By Max Willow
After an insipid performance against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, West Ham return to the critical business of EPL football as they welcome Newcastle for Saturday’s afternoon clash. While we struggle to put together our best midfield unit, with Lanzini, Kouyate, Fernandes, and Nathan Holland all unavailable, we have sufficient strength and pace to create goal-scoring chances against a struggling Newcastle team.
A well-organised 3-5-2 West Ham formation ((Insert Diagram), should allow us to carry on the fine form we demonstrated against Stoke. The combination of a ‘small man-big man attacking duo’ (Chicharito and Arnautovic), should be able to create numerous scoring opportunities, on the assumption that they are provided with sufficient opportunities from a cohesive, fast-moving midfield.
In the absence of the creative Lanzini, I am assigning a key central distributive role for Michail Antonio. His physical presence and blistering speed, will be a key factor in setting up numerous options (direct and indirect) for pushing the ball around in numerous ways towards the Magpies penalty area. From the left flank, Arthur Masuaku can attack directly down the wing, or alternatively, make incisive movements involving Obiang and reaching Antonio at the tip of the midfield pyramid. A similar strategy can be set up from the right flank, with quick short passing involving Zabaleta, Rice, and onto Antonio. From central midfield positions, Obiang and Rice can push direct passes to one of the strikers, who in turn, can slip a short backward pass into the path of a rampant Antonio, who can split the Newcastle central defence to shreds. Arnautovic and Antonio should be encouraged to swap positions when openings appear.
On other occasions, Chicharito or Arnautovic can adopt wider and deeper positions in order to allow the formation of moving triangles involving Masuaku and Antonio (left side)or Zabaleta and Antonio (right side).
Another strategy allows the option of Winston Reid pressing high through the centre to create a central diamond with the supporting wing-backs in proximity. In much the same way that Antonio can knock the ball around from a central attacking position, Reid can distribute in a forward motion to players on the flank or centre.
Then there is always the option of the ‘thinking man’s hoof’, where players like Masuaku or Obiang (left) can send a lofted pass towards Arnautovic, and down onto the quick-reacting Chicharito to slot home from close range. If Arnautovic and Chicharito swap central positions, this could allow Zabaleta or Rice to float a pass towards Arnautovic in order to simulate the same movement, again involving Chicharito as the finisher.
An alternative formation could allow a transformation to a 3-4-3 structure. Antonio could join Chicharito and Arnautovic on the right attacking side. To cover the middle o the park, I would instruct the striking trio to pull back deeper towards the midfield four. Masuaku could be used as a left-sided wingback to add thrust down the left flank. If possession becomes problematic, Arnautovic could fall back into a deeper central position, leaving Antonio and Chicharito in the more advanced positions.
I wanna throw a spanner in the works… I wanna keep the same personell but.. put Hernandez up top by himself.. and have Antonio and Arnautovic behind him.
Love the idea of this but the role you have Antonio in is not one I think he can play. He does not have a football brain and his thinking is at least 5 yards slower than anyone else on the pitch and he makes it up with his blistering pace but picking a forward pass or making an intelligent run in behind simply is not his bag. It was highlighted never more than when Billic tried the ill fated experiment with him as a wing back, a role a very similar player in Moses has excelled at but sadly Antonio is a fast power house and when most of the time he doesn’t know what he is going to do next his unpredictability is a positive but as a defensive player or play maker I just don’t see it. Swapping Arnie into that role and Antonio forward would be electric as Arnie is an intelligent player (other than when he loses his head as per Southampton)
Other change I would personally make and this is only my opinion but I would swap Reid and Ogbonna. We have enough trouble playing the ball up the line and keeping it on the pitch without a Left footer swinging it out of play all day long on the right so a right footed player on the right would be preferred by me and as the 3 at the back swing side to side with the wing back dropping in this reverts back to a more natural 4 at the back when needed.
Adrian
Zabba , Reid , ogbonna ,
Antonio rice kouyate obiang masuaku. Rice to cover zabba obiang for masuaku
Arnie , sakho
Pea
Carroll
Cresswell
Ayew
Ginge
Trott GK 😎
Quina
Noble if fit?
Laz … looks like a winning team to me . We do not need a luxury player like Hernandez. Sakho is our best goal scorer
I would play Arnie in #10 role with Lanzini out he will roam & create & id have Sahko & Antonio up front if Antonio is fit saying he might not be.
If not I would keep the 3-5-2 & play Sahko & Chic up front who actually make a good front 2 w Sahko being well rounded CF the 10m they had at Stoke they looked good Chic set Sakho up after lovely run but he couldn’t finish.
And I would put Oggy in the middle he has done well there & Reid on right is good.
But I would def have Arnie in #10 role. Antonio up front or Right of fit