West Ham United Manifesto – Time to get back to basics

When Chelsea was hit with their transfer ban the belief was that they would plummet out of the top-six with a young, inexperienced team. In reality, they’ve thrived as an energetic team and West Ham should copy this template.

From the top-down, Chelsea have transformed from a big-player-reliant team with Eden Hazard at the helm, to a young, fast, excitingly dangerous squad that uses their homegrown youth as the engine for the team. With a reputation of being the Academy of Football, West Ham can do the same – here’s how.

New Manager or New Ideas – It’s Pellegrini’s Choice

The calls for Manuel Pellegrini to be sacked after the shambolic loss to Newcastle at home are justified but are also quite emotional. Since losing 4-0 to Oxford United on September 25th in the Carabao Cup, the Hammers have collected just two points in five league matches, including three home matches.

This isn’t good enough; partially to blame for this is the manager’s uninspired team selection that seems to overlook the best or in-form players, hamstringing the team’s performance from the opening kick-off. Exemplifying this was the manager selecting Pablo Zabaleta to face off against speedster Allan Saint-Maximin. Scouting and game planning have come into question for Pellegrini after this awful decision that helped deflate the team.

So, perhaps it’s time for an ultimatum. Pellegrini must change his game planning and pre-game thinking or Gold and Sullivan need to change their manager. Many people are calling for a young, exciting manager with new ideas to take charge of the team now, and they can’t be blamed after seeing the success of Frank Lampard with Chelsea.

Recall the Best of the Loanees

Grady Diangana – If pace and creativity are needed then he’s your man. Diangana has been loving life under Slaven Bilic in the Championship, earning a starting job by excelling off the bench. He’s nabbed four goals and three assists in twelve matches this year, proving a solid creative and finishing player for the former West Ham manager.

The only thing stopping the obvious recall of Diangana is the almost guaranteed starting opportunity he has right now. He’d be fighting with Andriy Yarmolenko, Robert Snodgrass, and Michail Antonio (soon) for the right side of the pitch. Pros and cons need to be weighed for recalling him.

Nathan Trott – Currently sitting between the pipes for AFC Wimbledon in League One, West Ham’s best keeper prospect would be an obvious upgrade over Roberto and David Martin. If he could be recalled now, he should be, but bringing him back in January should be a no-brainer with a rehabbing Lukasz Fabianski.

Josh Cullen – More important than getting Diangana back, Josh Cullen is young, experienced, loves West ham and plays the West Ham way. Not to mention, Cullen also plays midfield and could help in bolstering this team weakness while pushing out some deadwood. Why not take another look before his deal is done?

Jordan Hugill – What more do you want from a player sent to the Championship? Jordan Hugill has taken his bumpy West Ham career in stride and is killing it with Queens Park Rangers. With seven goals in 13 games this season, Hugill’s physicality and desire to succeed are needed, and the team is thin at striker as it is.

Offload the Deadwood

Carlos Sanchez – The biggest waste of wages on this team is the Colombian midfielder. He can’t outplay a single person on this team and is earning a reported £50k a week (probably more) warming a seat on the bench for no reason. Brought in as “cover” in Pellegrini’s first window in charge, there was no need to pay him this much or give him multiple years on his contract. Cut ties with him in January and free up a bench spot for someone like Cullen.

Jack Wilshere – Some may find this a bit harsh, but Wilshere has done nothing in a year and a half at West Ham other than collect a fat paycheck and keep the medical staff company. His reported £100k a week contract is almost tops of the West Ham team list and he hasn’t earned a penny of it. Sure, he’s an awesome talent, but we haven’t seen it. Recoup some of the lost value on him in January.

Roberto – We’ve all seen enough from Roberto this season. If it isn’t time for David Martin to start after another performance full of errors, when will it be? Keep Martin for the English representation, recall Trott, lean on Fabianski when he’s ready. This isn’t the ‘Pellegrini retirement home’ and we don’t want to be the last stop for former players the manager has worked with.

Time for a Mentality Makeover – Simple Football

This is for both the players and the manager. The players that fill out the West Ham team sheet have earned nothing, yet the belief that they are good enough to play European football seems to be inflating their egos beyond mid to bottom table opposition. The reality check of a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United or a loss at home to Newcastle in an atrocious effort should snap these players out of their delusions of grandeur, but it starts with the gaffer.

Manuel Pellegrini refused to take responsibility for picking the wrong team against Newcastle, pushing the blame on his underperforming players and promising better after the international break. That isn’t good enough. If the manager isn’t going to step up and lead by example why would the players change their mindset either? Pellegrini needs to be a leader as well as a manager and right now he isn’t being either.

The resolution to all of this could be to boil the team and the tactics down to their basics. For example, Sebastien Haller is a target man striker who likes playing alongside another center-forward so why not start Albian Ajeti beside him for a few matches to try and ignite some offense? Why not adjust the formation to suit the players instead of forcing the players to adjust to a faltering game plan?

With the month-plus of uninspired, exhausting, and often inexcusable football being played by West Ham, changes need to be made with the first team. This should be done as soon as possible and should reward loanees for success away from the club, youth players for success in the PL2, and punish big name/wage players for not being good enough.

There is a glorious history behind West Ham United. Maybe it’s time that the current team remembers and honors its roots as the Academy of Football by bringing back simple, basics-heavy football played by homegrown talents and invested in players alike… with pride, the West Ham way.