Slow and sloppy would be a pretty appropriate title for West Ham’s starting players last week against Everton, which is why Manuel Pellegrini could make some drastic changes to face Sheffield United.
If the team could change out XI players and still have a chance at winning, I don’t think Manuel Pellegrini would have a second thought about going scorched earth with his West Ham team. While the message would be severely sent and received, Pellegrini is in the business of winning games, not moral victories.
That being said, West Ham is surely in line for a massive overhaul to the starting XI with formation as well as team selection. The reason being, the offense has gone cold and there is a dire need to start on time and with vigor. Because of this, I present to you the new and improved predicted starting XI for the Hammers:
Roberto
Fredericks – Balbuena – Diop – Cresswell
Wilshere – Rice
Yarmolenko – Anderson
Ajeti – Haller
I may have undersold the whole “massive overhaul” claim from before, but here it is, my masterpiece reformed starting XI. This team would shift to a 4-1-3-2 as soon as possession was kept with Jack Wilshere playing box-to-box just in front of Declan Rice. Noble is usually needed for team organization and motivation but motivation should be inherently in all players and organization should be sacrificed for more attacking play.
Also, Fabian Balbuena is a shot in the dark but ExWHUemployee suggested more changes are coming from injury concern and both Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna have been pushed to the physical limit to start the season. To me, a niggling injury to one of them makes sense, I gambled on the elder Ogbonna.
With both Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson offering the most for the Hammers this season as far as creativity is concerned, the duo draws in as floating and drifting attacking midfielders who can both play wide and in the middle of the pitch.
The biggest change would be Albian Ajeti coming in for an attacking midfielder, playing alongside Sebastien Haller. Haller played with Luka Jovic at Frankfurt in a striker duo so this system could work. Ajeti is a scrappy player in the box and needs an opportunity to play with Haller as the target man to get the offense clicking.
Overall, this team is a risky one but controlled and attacking enough to overpower Sheffield. Expect lots of aerial play with crosses into the box and over-the-top play to spring Ajeti off of Haller. With dribbling midfielders, time and space will be available to set up what should be an aerial assault from the Hammers.