Huddersfield are next up for the Hammers, the Yorkshire side come to town on a wave of optimism, 2 wins and a draw in the first 3 games and progress in the League Cup represents a solid start for the Premier League newcomers.
The Huddersfield manager David Wagner is a rising star rightly gaining plaudits for Huddersfield’s performances and results. Huddersfield seem a club completely in sync from the chairman through Manager to the players and fans what a complete contrast to West Ham.
West Ham desperately need a performance to kick start the season and as such I would like Bilic to be positive, One of the features of Bilic’s reign with the club is a slow start in even in the first season, when the team is in good form it’s not catastrophic with the team at its current low ebb its absolutely vital West Ham start fast and impose themselves on Huddersfield.
West Ham must keep the ball in the face of Huddersfield press and the team will be hugely reliant on the movement of Hernandez up front and the ability of Lanzini and the rest of the midfield to find space between the lines.
Bilic does tend to favour playing one man upfront as is the vogue at the moment but this isn’t working, Hernandez is a great striker but ideally needs to play between the goal posts, having him upfront with Sahko running the channels would stretch the Huddersfield defence and then create the space for Lanzini and Antonio to operate in.
Kouyate and Noble need to be pivotal in providing the screening for the back four and setting the tempo of the game with quick distribution. In recent games West Ham have been extremely weak when they lose the ball, think back to how many times the team lost a goal from losing the ball in the oppositions half last season the central midfielders must provide the platform for the more creative players to win the game.
Lanzini’s injury woes and Arnautovic’s suspension together with Edmilson Fernandes injury means the side will be short of creative spark at a time when the team need bravery on the ball. West Ham do have the option of playing 3 centre backs and pushing the full backs into Wingbacks to provide width to a narrow Midfield, but when I have seen the side play this system it doesn’t seem to suit us at all. For now I would be positive and play the team below
Hart, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Antonio, Noble, Kouyate, Sead Haksabanovic, Hernandez, Sakho
Throwing Sead Haksabanovic in is a gamble but West Ham desperately need the crowd behind them and for that reason I would play the youngster as the fans will get behind him rather than decision to play a more established player out of position.
Sakho’s head is clearly not right but if he’s fit he must play from the start with Carroll ready to make an appearance from the bench.
The team above has its limitations but I think we must pick a system and the players must fit the system, I am never comfortable with players out of position particularly in such a high pressure game. West Ham’s approach must be one of bravery and positivity they are good enough to beat Huddersfield they must just believe they are.