Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham team selection for the Everton match was thrust upon him by injuries. That being said, Pellegrini has to take some blame and learn from his structural misstep against Everton, in preparation for Chelsea.
Square pegs in round holes
If anything, we’ve learned certain areas where some West Ham players just cannot play. The first name that comes to mind is Manuel Lanzini on the right wing. It’s clear Pellegrini likes his formation and doesn’t want to abandon it, but shifting Lanzini from the #10 position to RW just doesn’t make sense.
Felipe Anderson’s injury forced Robert Snodgrass into the leftwing position and Pellegrini opted for a secondary striker over a #10 with Lucas Perez drawing into the team. This meant that Lanzini was the de facto rightwinger with Michail Antonio reduced to a bench position.
Lanzini thrives on interior passing and by overlapping with his wingers and strikers in attack. Having him on the right wing put his back up against the wall and limited his ability to not only get in on the play but also to work as an effective outlet.
If Antonio wasn’t to start it would have made more sense to start Grady Diangana at right wing and even call up Nathan Holland from the U23 squad to start in the leftwing position. This would not only reward Holland for his years of service and impact in the development squad but would also show that first team opportunities are earned not given *cough Perez cough*
Blinded by Perez?
Perez was actually pretty good for West Ham in their 4-3 win over Huddersfield, so I can understand why he was an option for Pellegrini. Surely not as a starter though, right? Perez hasn’t earned much this season and a starting job is included in this. He finds ways to disappear through his lack of physicality which makes him a non-factor for opposing team’s defenders.
By selecting Perez, Pellegrini was committing to a thin midfield in hopes of holding up play with the dual-striker system. This 4-4-2 system utterly failed as Everton ran free through the middle of the pitch, overrunning Rice with numbers.
What can Pellegrini learn from this?
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Let me preface this by saying I don’t think I can teach Manuel Pellegrini anything about football, instead this is a case study in a failed team selection. So, here’s what the Everton match revealed:
Robert Snodgrass – If you aren’t going to play him as a rightwinger, he has to be played centrally. This includes in a 4-2-2-2, but most notably in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1.
Manuel Lanzini – Has to be West Ham’s solution in the middle of the pitch, committed forward as the #10. Keep him away from the wing for now, especially after his return from injury.
Lucas Perez – I’m not a Perez hater like some, but I think he needs to be reserved for a late-game substitute.
Chicharito – Needs to be West Ham’s starting striker in a lone striker position. Support him with a packed midfield and with wingers who can overlap (Antonio, Diangana).
Pablo Zabaleta – He can’t start right now, no matter the situation. Use him to solidify a game and close out a result, but he’s isn’t better than Fredericks at all at the moment.
Issa Diop – Time for a rest? Surely he isn’t tired after the international break, but he looks it. I’d reunite him with Balbuena first and alleviate Ogbonna first.
Hopefully, these lessons, which are pretty shallow to be fair, can be learned ahead of the Chelsea match. The squad will be rejuvenated after some injuries which is a bonus, and Pellegrini can finish the season strong with a result against Chelsea.