The J’Lo factor – Two games in

Pre-season is a peculiar stage in the Club Calendar. Match fitness is low and many players are still away on holiday and enjoying their physical break from the Internationals which followed a long Premier League campaign. So, personnel added to ‘plug the gaps’ for these pre-season games are unlikely to see the light of day again when half the first team returns in August.

Whilst the likes of Potts, Orford, Marshall, Earthy, Kodua and Scarles all performed well, it is probable that most will be headed back to the PL2 competition or out on loan.

There were useful pointers, though, consistent with the team performance last week in the first friendly, defining further the style of play and influence of new Head Coach Julen Lopetegui.

Notable throughout the 90 minutes was the shift into some long, diagonal passes especially from left to right by Kilman and JWP. I lost count of the number of times this ‘head up, 50 metre long pass’ found a willing runner on the right: On a few occasions this repeated from the opposite side aiming for Cornet.

As an option instead of the lamentable side -side-back-passing of yore, this created real chances for The Hammers: Cornet, popping up on the inside right position was unlucky to have a shot saved that came originally from a long JWP cross field pass and a headed knock – down.

Not exactly rocket science but a variety of play that is very welcome: Layered on top of the through-passing and industry of  West Ham’s midfield stand-ins such as Potts, Orford and Irving, this illustrated that a more expansive, front-foot style is being coached.

Add to this the high defensive line ( a bit of a worry with Zouma’s lack of pace) and the continual pressing of the ball by groups of two or three midfielders when out of possession and there is evidence of a clear shift in coaching style.

Another observation: ‘Teaching an old dog new tricks’ springs to mind but Fabianski is now distributing the ball faster than ever before, positively rushing to bowl it to the flanks as if it were a hand-grenade with the pin popped-out. This certainly helps move the ball upfield before defences are set in their ‘two ranks of four’ which The Irons failed to break down so many times last season.

Next week, The Hammers head out to Florida for another ‘Exhibition Competition’ of limited importance: But for those of us watching these coming games it be useful to see if the tactical changes observed remain a theme,  as the ‘real’ games get nearer, the opposition get stronger and the first choice players return.