5 reasons West Ham will finish above Manchester United this season
Our striker’s first touch ends up in the same postcode
If there’s one thing that sums up Manchester United’s attack this season, it’s been the decline of Lukaku. Compared to previous season, where his first touch and play-making wasn’t necessarily the best, it’s atrocious now. Every time he gets on the ball anywhere but the penalty area you’d bet on him giving it away. At different times this season he’s passed it out of play, tripped himself over and occasionally just missed the ball.
light. Must Read. Where will injured Hammers return to in the team?
The Hammers may currently be without Arnautovic, their main man for the past 12 months, but have scored 11 goals in the past 4 games. The attack is free flowing and whether it is the Austrian heading the attack or Hernandez, Perez or Antonio there now seems to be a game-plan in place. The idea is there and the play is high quality. They trust their striker.
Without a central figure to the attack, even if like Man City it involves a free-roam striker like Aguero or Jesus, it’s hard to score goals. You have to trust you know what the striker is going to do more times than not, or that what they do is sufficiently good that you have confidence to give them the ball even under pressure. Arnie and the Hammers’ forward options have that at the moment. Lukaku does not.