Manuel Pellegrini has a West Ham midfield dilemma

Manuel Pellegrini and West Ham United have a predicament. The predicament, what to do with an already crowded midfield. We can salivate and be excited for sure, but the truth is that crowded midfield will have Pellegrini and Co scratching their heads on what to do.

Now in no way do I think that signing Fornals and looking to sign another CM is a mistake, West Ham must look to always improve and get the best squad out there. Secondly, this is a “problem” that the Hammers haven’t had to deal with in a long while, too much quality in one spot.

Fellow writer Adam Smith wrote over the weekend about how he projected the lineup to look, check it out here. But with that, it leaves a lot of solid and veteran names. Still, a good problem to have but it will leave all involved with a lot to think about to try to get it right.

The midfield is more attack-minded with only Rice, Noble, Sanchez, and Obiang more defensively minded but take into effect that we don’t know what’s going to happen with either Sanchez or Obiang. Back to the attack, West Ham have Yarmolenko, Anderson, Antonio, Snodgrass, Lanzini, Wilshere, Diangana, and now Fornals with even one more possibly coming in.

The consensus at GSH is that Pellegrini will play some type of 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 formation and with that in mind, that leaves 4 or 5 slots for 12 potential players. It’s been reported by football.london and ExWHUemployee that Pellegrini wants to start both Lanzini and Fornals when fit. That leaves 2 or 3 slots open for 10 midfielders.

Wilshere can play both the number 10 role and defensive mid but that disaster at the beginning of the season tells me he really, when fit, can only play well in the number 10 role. Competition is something Pellegrini wants for his players but it’s going to be tough to keep them happy and get it right.

For a club that conceded 55 goals this season and seeing their best play with a conventional number 10, two wingers, and two defensive mids the thought of only playing Rice behind the front 4 concerns me. If West Ham add another box to box midfielder, that competition and headache arise.

The Hammers have a history of injury but has he overcompensated for that? With the news of another midfielder wanted and the need for more forwards, Pellegrini will have even more dilemmas and predicaments, although not bad problems to have, on the horizon.