West Ham United boss David Moyes must find a system and line-up to cope without Declan Rice and Michail Antonio.
Said Benrahma makes shocking admission
Rice is out for a least a month with a knee injury and Antonio looks set to miss the rest of the season with a Grade 2 hamstring tear.
If you asked any West Ham fan to name two players Moyes could not afford to lose it would be Rice and Antonio.
So what now for the Hammers in the crucial run-in?
Brutal injury blow hits Hammers at worst possible time ahead of run-in
West Ham have just got themselves back in the top four with eight games to go.
The Champions League dream is very much on. But many are now writing the east Londoners off in light of the brutal double injury blow.
There is no hiding from the fact West Ham are not the same team without Rice and Antonio.
But Moyes can save West Ham’s amazing season with a few cunning tweaks.
And it involves just a couple of players operating in slightly different positions which will present West Ham’s opposition with a completely different problem, starting with Leicester.
Moyes has already hinted Jarrod Bowen will deputise for Antonio up front.
Benrahma’s chance to shine in the more advanced role he shone in at Brentford and more legs around Noble
The former Hull man is no stranger to playing as a striker.
Bowen appears to have hit some form at the right time and even said himself this week he feels he has his spark back (whufc.com).
Noble will clearly continue to play in place of Rice. But against better teams – like Leicester – his lack of mobility and pace will be exposed.
Therefore Pablo Fornals will have to operate closer to Noble in a midfield three which allows Tomas Soucek more licence to get forward.
Now comes the potentially exciting part. Jesse Lingard will play as a second striker behind Bowen.
But Said Benrahma will finally get his chance to shine in the link role between midfield and attack.
So rather than operate with Lingard in a false nine striker role through the middle with Bowen right and Benrahma left, West Ham will instead line up in an interchangeable 4-3-2-1 formation.
The emphasis will switch to a more intricate style of play in the final third than the powerful counter attacking approach West Ham adopt with Antonio up top.
The beauty of starting with this formation is that Moyes also has the option to bring Arthur Masuaku in and switch to wingbacks.
He could sacrifice Benrahma or perhaps start with that formation and Masuaku with the option of switching to the to 4-3-2-1 setup.
Interchangeable 4-3-2-1 formation could save West Ham’s Champions League dream in duo’s absence
Lingard and Benrahma would be needed to press and cover at times on the left and right defensively which they are both well used to under Moyes.
Fornals and Soucek offer more legs around Noble who would be the conduit between defence and midfield.
With Fornals in a central role alongside Soucek, the big Czech would have some freedom to get forward and into the box.
Fornals’s excellent passing into Lingard and Benrahma would also be key in this position.
Then it is up to Lingard and Benrahma to be that creative spark with the latter playing a more advanced role like his Brentford days where he was so effective.
Bowen’s movement will be key. What he lacks in power compared to Antonio he can make up for with clever runs across the front post and in behind.
The West Ham line-up which could save West Ham’s Champions League dreams:
Fabianski, Cresswell, Dawson, Diop, Coufal, Noble, Fornals, Soucek, Lingard, Benrahma, Bowen.
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