Standing room only for the Amazonians? Published 26/03/18 on Moore Than Just A Club
West Ham are entering the final stretch of this marathon season and Moyes must find a way to direct his players to deliver a performance and more importantly gain crucial points. This may not be the season when West Ham are just ‘too good to go down’ but it is doubtful they will also amass the 42points that has seen them relegated in a previous campaign.
“I would rather lie facedown on the ground and use my body as a bridge, than stand proud and tall and use my body as a wall.” – Kamand Kojouri
So what must the strategy be for the upcoming games…should Moyes continue with his three central defenders and wing backs or should he radically change it all in an attempt to charge at the season end? The fact remains that whilst the earlier team performances were unspectacular, they were at least providing a steady flow of points to add to the season tally, however there have been some disastrous results too which has created the current predicament. Whilst there were valuable results against the top teams soon after Moyes too over, the true test would be against those teams in and around similar league positions…and West Ham usually failed in those examinations.
Whatever is the reason, in the last three games the team have not been able to perform for the full ninety minutes, although they have created opportunities that just weren’t converted into goals. Now, Moyes has to rally the team together after a three week absence and make these opportunities count but what tactics and formations should he adopt and what is the plan B when all else goes awry?
One of the issues, in the catalogue of many, has been his inability to change the game with appropriate and early substitutions or react to counter offensives when the players seem to lose their way. For many fans, the team has not appeared to be solid enough, not only in defence but also in midfield.
There has been too much insecurity, too many misplaced passes, not enough support for the front running strikers and not a clear directive to move forward and play in the opponent’s half. Moyes’s defensive posturing has let teams press with random success and ultimately have penetrated when really a more attacking option would have put them on the back foot.
This is where Moyes needs to focus his attentions now. The squad isn’t deep enough to replace like for like and the defence will remain vulnerable for the rest of the season. The hope now rests in midfield with a variety of quality and grit…and purposeful attacks utilising two strikers. However the team cannot rely on minnows to battle against giants, there must be cunning in the play and there must be alternatives to fall back on.
There are limited options now, especially against Southampton, however if Moyes is to play a two man strike partnership, then Hernandez must start but he must be ably assisted by a towering figure, certainly in comparative terms.
Although Carroll is potentially set to return for the last three or four games of the season, we need another target man who can hold up play and lay off the ball to a ready and willing Hernandez who can run on and past defenders to poach a goal or two.
The attacking midfield must find it within themselves to link up between the defence and attack and create opportunities both with short passes and long, play balls to feet for Hernandez or high balls to a Carroll deputy…which can only be Hugill at this moment.
The entire team must find that fighting spirit, to be resolute all over the pitch. They must probe through the centre and find width on the flanks with quality crosses. It cannot be simply one dimensional football for the full ninety minutes…Moyes has to find a way to react to and counteract his counterpart’s tactics with multiple options that would exploit Hernandez’s abilities, make best use of Lanzini’s and Arnautovic’s endeavours and reap the benefits of Hugill’s limitations but effectiveness…certainly until Carroll returns…if he ever does. There has to be more than one arrow in the quiver and surely not standing room only for the Amazonians?