What changes can Pellegrini make for Bournemouth?

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After a forgetful opening-day performance, what changes do West Ham need to make for Bournemouth?

It was a painful opening day for the Hammers, losing 4-0 to Liverpool at Anfield in a disastrous first game.

Manuel Pellegrini is looking to build an attacking side that likes to get hold of possession. However, supporters barely seen any of that kind of football in Merseyside.

Supporters queued up after the match to have a pop at several of their stars. So what changes does Pellegrini need to make ahead of what’s a huge home clash with Bournemouth on Saturday?

The most glaringly obvious problem was the central midfield. Mark Noble and Jack Wilshere came under heavy criticism from supporters. Fans believed that the duo were just too slow in the engine room and that they can’t play in the same team together.

It wouldn’t be surprising should that player be long-term Hammer Noble. The midfielder has been a fan-favourite for years, but Pellegrini is likely to back his own signings.

Wilshere can be a top player when on his game, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see someone like Snodgrass come in for Noble and allow Wilshere to drop back.

Defensively, Balbuena started ahead of Issa Diop, and Pellegrini may fancy shifting that around.

The high-line was too often exposed against Liverpool, so much so that it was constantly made fun of on social media afterwards. Putting Diop in would therefore keep things fresh and allow supporters to see another of the new signings.

Up top, Javier Hernandez needs a run of games to prove himself. The diminutive forward has scoring capabilities that outweigh anything the rest of the squad have to offer, but didn’t get a chance to show that at Anfield.

On his day, Chicharito is one of the best strikers in England. However, against Liverpool, he had to make do with a half-hour cameo after the game was dead.

Given service, you have to fancy the Mexican to notch against Bournemouth. As Pellegrini continues to stress the need for attacking football and chance creation – Hernandez would thrive on that.

These are just several of the changes Pellegrini could make ahead of Saturday.

Supporters are craving a positive result to give themselves something to believe in with Pellegrini. A win on Saturday, therefore, and fans will well and truly be on the bandwagon.