West Ham lose out in first friendly under Manuel Pellegrini
Manuel Pellegrini’s first West Ham game ended in a loss. However he won’t be too disheartened with the result.
One of the main parts of any pre-season camp is the friendlies. And any new manager knows that his pre-season results will me examined far more closely than those of an incumbent manager. Pellegrini, given the fanfare and hype around his signing, would have been hoping for a good start at West Ham. The club’s 3-2 loss to FC Winterthur would not have been too much to his liking.
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However the first game is usually a bit of a glorified training exercise, and Pellegrini didn’t seem too perturbed. After only a week of training, with triple sessions on Thursday and Friday, the effort on show wasn’t to be questioned. It also gave a brief insight into how the new manager will set up and who could feature.
Formation Change
The biggest thing to take away is the likely formation change under Pellegrini. For times under Bilic and almost exclusively under Moyes, the Hammers played with a back 5. Against FC Winterthur, there was no sign of wingbacks at all, as Pellegrini reverted to his favoured 4-2-3-1. However, given the strength of the opposition, the back 5 may still appear at points throughout the Premier League season.
Andy Carroll and Jordan Hugill fronted the attack for the first and second halves respectively, but most note was in performances by nee faces and younger talent. Reece Oxford, who many thought would be off to Germany this summer, played well alongside Declan Rice in the heart of the defence, whilst Nathan Holland looked lively in the first 45.
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In the second half new signings Fredericks and Diop were moved into the back, whilst Robert Snograss did his best to impress on his return to the Hammers set up. With a new manager and plenty of new faces expected, the season ahead looks interesting. Arnautovic is set to join the squad this week, with the signing of Wilshere also thought to be close.