Put up or Shut up; Europa Football relies on Huddersfield win

Talk about motivation! West Ham’s hopes of getting to the Europa League lie in beating a Huddersfield team who will be relegated. Can this be the motivating factor the first team needs to show up for this match?

A lot of this game will be determined before the match both in the players’ mentality and in the manager’s team selection. West Ham can learn from their Cardiff catastrophy by starting on the front foot against the Terriers.

With a history of playing up against top-table opposition and letting winnable games against lower-table teams slip away based on effort alone, Huddersfield town should adopt Cardiff’s plan. Attack early and attack often.

Cardiff punched the Hammers in the mouth with their press and speed to start the game. This resulted in the 4th-minute opener and set the tone for the rest of the match. Huddersfield doesn’t have the attacking options that even Cardiff do, but Aaron Mooy, Alex Pritchard, and Steve Mounie all have the ability to put the ball in the net, especially if West Ham start slow yet again.

West Ham actually had success combating the early press by outplaying Newcastle with the same tactic. Countering the Magpies early pressure, West Ham held possession and forced a corner kick which Rice nodded in to push Newcastle onto the back foot. The West Ham team is better than Huddersfield in every aspect, if the team is ready to play then the Irons won’t have an issue.

Pellegrini can make some changes to facilitate a new, more attacking minded starting XI, but this game will be won or lost on the mentality of the players on the pitch.

If West Ham field a team who think they’ve won the game before it’s started there is a chance their complacency gets shoved in their faces much like it did against Cardiff. If the players look at this game as a stepping stone they cannot afford to miss en route to European football, I foresee a better Irons effort.

The pressure of hitting 7th could also be weighing on the teams’ shoulders. A lot of high-skill, expensive players state their interest in teams that are playing in European competitions. Could West Ham have a team full of players too timid to take the next step towards their proposed goals?

Regardless, there needs to be a change in the mentality of this team in order to succeed on a regular and consistent basis. Skill doesn’t win games alone and the best teams in the Premier League game plan and strategizes for Champions League opposition just as they do for a battle against a relegation-bound team. It’s a wake-up call for the Irons, and one they can’t afford to snooze.