There have recently been rumors of West Ham signing Chelea midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
This could work out very well for us if done properly. Of the things that West Ham are lacking one of the biggest is creativity. Though I have pointed out on many occasions the limitations of Cesc Fabregas this is one area in which he is actually quite strong. If West Ham can get a good deal on his wages and find a way to balance the midfield it could work out very well for the Hammers.
Cesc Fabregas is not a complete midfielder. He is incredibly limited in the defensive sense. However, West Ham have midfielders who can make up for his lack of ability in that department. It could however spell the end of the 3-4-3 at West Ham should they sign him. The 3-4-3 requires the two central midfielders to be adept going both forward and back. Unfortunately that is not a point of strength for Mr. Fabregas. As seen at Chelsea he has been pushed out by the more defensively aware N’Golo Kane and Nemanja Matic.
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What you see here is two players who are both limited in a technical and attacking sense. What they do offer though is hustle something that Fabregas doesn’t exactly have in spades. If West Ham are sure they want to add Fabregas it could be useful to switch formations.
4-3-3
West Ham only have one useful striker (and that’s debatable) at the moment. If Andre Ayew plays through the middle as a traditional front man and is flanked by Payet and Lanzini/Antonio then we have a chance. What the 4-3-3 really adds however is a level of protection for Fabregas in midfield.
With Noble and Obiang beside him in midfield Fabregas could do what he does best. He will float in and out of space and try and find ways to release the players in front of him. Without two people to protect him then Fabregas could very well show of the defensive liabilities that are seeing him pushed out of Chelsea in the first place.
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4-3-2-1
The Christmas tree formation is something I am a big proponent of. A classic of Italian football it could see us solidify their position and make the most out of their current talent. Playing Fabregas in the 3 or the 2 could work and would see his deficiencies covered by his teammates as well as he the room to create.
3-5-2.
If Bilic is sure that he wants to stay in a formation that keeps three at the back then this works in the same way as the 4-3-3. It provides plenty of protection for Fabregas but also options moving both forward and back. Simply put I don’t think we have the defenders for this.
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If we are going to sign Cesc Fabregas they will need to move forward smartly. He is a player with incredible limitations. That said, on his day, he is one of the best passers in modern football and when put in his role he can work for any team. Recently our issue is that creatively, they are simply not in the same class as some of the other teams. They’re not even close. Making a move to remedy this shows that West Ham at least have the ambition to match their fans’.