It is no secret that West Ham are off to a miserably slow start to their season. With a massive price tag, Felipe Anderson has been the target of a lot of criticism but patience may be key to getting the sleeping giant firing on all cylinders – just like Arnautovic.
West Ham’s biggest offseason acquisition has started a little slower than most would like, but just like a former newcomer Felipe Anderson may just need some patience and time. The former acquisition is Marco Arnautovic and his slow start was remedied by a change in position and mentality in attack, perhaps the same is already underway with Anderson.
West Ham and West Ham supporters do not have the time that they did the previous season to wait for their player to start clicking, for Arnautovic this was five months and sixteen games into the season. Manuel Pellegrini has already started the process that revitalized Arnautovic though so maybe we’ll be a little closer to success.
Arnautovic and Moyes saw the need for a change in position and mentality regarding attacking football. Moyes moved Arnautovic from the left midfield role he was occupying and played him as a free-roaming striker atop a narrow 5-3-1-1 formation, playing off of the advanced attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini.
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Anderson has already been shifted from a leftwinger/midfielder to the #10 role which comes with a license to roam and more dedicated time forward. Against Arsenal, he linked up well with Arnautovic carrying the ball upfield and playing a give-and-go that ended up in an Arnautovic goal. He was also used against AFC Wimbledon as a halftime sub where he again played the #10 role and again assisted on a goal, this time off the foot of Issa Diop.
The Wolves match was a dud for the majority of the team Anderson included. He didn’t seem to have much conviction going forward and the passion just wasn’t there. Anderson and his teammates will need to turn it up a notch (or ten) to get any results moving forward but, again, like Arnautovic score sheet appearances last season, it may just take one goal to get the forward rolling.
Another added spotlight on Anderson’s slow start is the booming start fellow Brazilian winger RIcharlison got off to at Everton. Currently serving a suspension for violent conduct, Richarlison netted three goals in his first two matches and immediately started to justify his Anderson-esque pricetag.
Anderson has already moved positions and has been given the free-roaming responsibilities. In three games as the #10 Anderson has two assists so the remedy to his Premier League problems may already be found out. Just give him some time; patience paid off for Arnautovic maybe it’ll work for Anderson too.