West Ham look to keep their impressive unbeaten run intact with Crystal Palace coming to the London Stadium. Will the game plan stay the same, or will Pellegrini look to attack?
The team was clearly going to pick itself for West Ham’s home clash with London rivals Crystal Palace, but second thoughts have created cause for concern. The team choice hinges upon one of two mentalities – stay the same or adjust to a more attacking team.
This thought was inspired by Matty Etherington’s guest appearance on The West Ham Way Podcast where the question was brought up: do you rest Mark Noble against Palace to keep him fresh for Everton?
The idea of resting Mark Noble seems initially like a perplexing move. Noble has been West Ham’s heartbeat in the midfield this season and is undergoing a renaissance of form under Manuel Pellegrini. He patrols the pitch in the box-to-box role and can easily impact the attack as he does the defense. Resting him would be a massive risk.
A risk to be sure, but is it the perfect time to take that risk? A home match against Crystal Palace is the perfect time to make an attacking based switch, so would it be worth it for the Hammers to call an audible this weekend?
Predicted team:
Roberto
Fredericks – Diop – Ogbonna – Cresswell
Noble – Rice
Yarmolenko – Lanzini – Anderson
Haller
As you can see, this predicted team fights off the temptation to change this team too much. If the Hammers have learned anything this season, it’s that you cannot underestimate your opponent *cough Oxford cough*. Crystal Palace are just one point off of the Irons and have been playing some smart football this season. Their main plan is to counterattack with speed after stacking players behind the ball to halt the opposition’s attack.
By having a packed midfield including five players West Ham can dominate this match by overwhelming the likes of Kouyate and McArthur with skill and speed. West Ham should also look to capitalize on the loss of team captain Luka Milivojevic who is out on yellow card suspension.
An unchanged team is picked for a reason. The Hammers have been strong this season by sticking to their game plan and not allowing their opponents to dictate the way the football match will be played. This match should be no different, as Pellegrini’s squad looks to squash a Premier League team looking to knock them off.