No I’m not mad. No I’m not talking about Football manager. West Ham can actually beat Manchester United this weekend if they play it right. And get lucky.
Now obviously what I have isn’t foolproof. Otherwise I’d be a manager and making millions in the Premier League leading West Ham to glory. But I do genuinely think we have a chance this week. Old Trafford is no longer the fortress of intimidation it used to be, and United can be beaten.
If United turn up in a good mood then not much is going to give West Ham a chance. With the superstar names they have the Londoners have to accept they are there to cause an upset, not as equal teams. But here’s what they can do.
1. Frustrate
The first thing in playing any big side is making sure they don’t get big opportunities. Especially early in the match, Ibrahimovic must be kept away from goal and the wing backs should look at defence first for at least the first 20 minutes. Going a goal down at Old Trafford early on will just make the whole evening very nasty.
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United have a huge range of attacking midfielders they could play. It will fall to both the wingbacks to help Obiang out in the centre in dealing with them. Space needs to be squashed out and it will be a huge test defensively for Antonio if he starts as right wing back.
The three centrebacks, less Winston Reid due to his sending off last week, will need to be as good as they were last week if West Ham are to have any chance. Ogbonna, Kouyate and the other centre back, presumably Collins, will have to work as a unit. Not giving any fouls close to the area and making sure any crosses are dealt with as efficiently as possible.
2. Break With Speed
It doesn’t matter how good the opposition is, it’s always harder for them to defend if you move at pace. It creates space and therefore uncertainty between the defenders, which the club then has to exploit.
With the backline containing 3 central defenders and a holding midfielder, everyone else needs to be ready to get forward. Whilst the wingbacks need to make sure they keep it tight for the first 20 minutes, after that they will need to use their pace to help the attack get forward.
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Payet, Lanzini, Ayew and Sakho will need to be in sync to make the most of what they get. That’s if West Ham play that many attackers. Some are suggesting leaving one out to bring Noble back in, but the east Londoners need to score. These four attacking players will keep United worried and help our defence.
3. Make The Most Of Set Pieces
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Obviously, with Payet in our team, our free kicks offer an added threat. However it’s the other set plays that we need to start being more clinical at.
We have a strong aerial team, and a multitude of set piece takers. In my opinion Cresswell should be taking more corners and indirect freekicks, especially ones that favour a left footed delivery. He is a quality set piece taker and it could add to our attack. Especially if it means that we can stick Payet on the edge of the box as an added threat.
Obviously, Payet needs to take the majority of direct free kicks. He’s one of the best in the world over the last 12 months, and if he can score a few this season it will certainly boost us.
Do you think we have a chance? Let us know in the comments below.