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Tactics

Has Manuel Pellegrini got it all wrong over Lucas Perez as West Ham exit rumours persist

Damien Charles Lucas
Damien Charles Lucas
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Manuel Pellegrini has revolutionised West Ham United in a short time but is he getting it all wrong over Lucas Perez?

West Ham have been transformed this season.

From flirting with relegation to a team with genuine aspirations of qualifying for Europe.

But more than that Pellegrini has given the team an identity and made the Hammers a quality outfit.

Injuries have affected West Ham’s ability to perform at their best on a consistent basis.

That will come with time and money spent in transfer windows, though.

The Chilean looks to be the right man for West Ham. But that doesn’t mean he never gets things wrong.

Photo by GLYN KIRK AFP Getty Images

Has Pellegrini got it wrong over Perez?

Indeed has he got it all wrong over one of his summer signings Lucas Perez?

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When the Hammers signed Perez from Arsenal for a modest £4 million it looked very good business.
The 30-year-old failed to shine with the Gunners but many supporters felt he simply wasn’t given a chance by Arsene Wenger.
It is a similar story in East London, though, with four goals from 13 appearances for the Hammers so far – two of which came in the same game against Cardiff.
West Ham skipper Mark Noble recently described Perez as one the best finishers he has ever seen at the club (Evening Standard).
Photo by Arfa Griffiths West Ham United via Getty Images

‘Lucas is one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen’

His apparent refusal to come on as a substitute in a Carabao Cup victory over AFC Wimbledon didn’t impress Pellegrini or supporters.
His match-winning brace over Cardiff looked to be a turning point, though.
A nasty gash in the next game saw Perez’s progress halted again and he has not had a look in since.
The striker was not even on the bench for the 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth last time out despite the unavailability of star man Marko Arnautovic.
Speculation is rife he is set for a return to Spain with Real Betis (Standard).
Pellegrini could be about to make a mistake by letting him go. Because he could well have been playing Perez out of position.
During a loan spell with Deportivo last season, Perez was officially the leading provider in La Liga.
But when his chances come for West Ham – mostly as a late substitute – Pellegrini plays him as the cover striker.
Photo by Arfa Griffiths West Ham United via Getty Images

Out of position but not out of time

Truth be told it is a position that simply does not suit Perez’s attributes or attitude.
He is not one for the rough and tumble that comes with playing as a lone striker or wide of a three in the Premier League. He is not a player famed for an aggressive workrate.
And he doesn’t have the pace to stretch teams or get in behind. The fact Arnautovic can do a bit of everything makes him so valuable to West Ham.
Perez is best suited to the role he occupied at Depor, at the tip of a midfield behind another striker.
Quick interchanges on the edge of the box and finishing is his game. From there one short combination opens up opportunities for a teammate or puts him through on goal where – as Noble testifies – he is so deadly.
It remains to be seen whether Perez will stay at West Ham this month.
But perhaps Pellegrini will be forced to explore a different approach with the uncertainty over Arnautovic.
And perhaps the 30-year-old can prove useful for the rest of the season at least.
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