Will Manuel Pellegrini stay stuck in his ways, proving he is a stubborn manager, or will he be inspired in his selection away to Southampton? The answer could decide his future as West Ham manager.
It has been the same formation, or a variation of it, for all of this season. Manuel Pellegrini loves his 4-1-4-1/4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1 formation, all filled with largely the same players. However, the past eleven matches prove it isn’t working and him choosing it once again to face Southampton could prove to be his demise as this match, and many others cry out for an offensive change.
That change is a dual striker system. It was needed against Arsenal, it was needed against Newcastle, it was needed against Everton, and the list goes on. With Michail Antonio and Sebastien Haller both believed to be fit for this match, instead of either/or, Pellegrini needs to go with both to get a result.
Here is the predicted team for the match against Southampton:
Martin
Fredericks – Ogbonna – Balbuena – Cresswell
Rice – Noble
Antonio – Anderson – Fornals
Haller
Bench: Roberto, Diop, Masuaku, Sanchez, Snodgrass, Holland, Ajeti
Two strikers being picked, but in a formation with actually just one striker – the Manuel Pellegrini compromise! He’ll stick to this formation until something goes wrong, as he usually does in the second half, and Antonio will move up top to play off of Haller. It’s so obvious it hurts.
This team sees Robert Snodgrass finally lose his spot in the starting XI after going goalless and assistless in his last three matches. He’s been the sacrificial lamb here to get Antonio into the team while maintaining the singular striker formation. He should, along with Nathan Holland, keep his position on the bench, pushing out Pablo Zabaleta and Andriy Yarmolenko from the matchday squad.
Best XI:
Martin
Fredericks – Diop – Ogbonna – Cresswell
Rice – Noble
Fornals – Anderson
Antonio – Haller
Bench: Anang, Zabaleta, Masuaku, Snodgrass, Holland, Yarmolenko, Ajeti
This would be my ‘best XI’ and bench heading into the Southampton match. Dual strikers are needed in a match where the Hammers need to take over and dictate the offense. Allowing Felipe Anderson and Pablo Fornals to roam in matching attacking midfield positions invites pressure down the wings from the fullbacks and forces Mark Noble and Declan Rice to stay bay for counter coverage.
Overall, an old dog can’t learn new tricks so be prepared for the same formation even if Antonio is on the pitch with Haller. He’ll stay out wide, work his tail off, but not get any if his just desserts as the box will be empty outside of Haller. Ah, how I wish for a new, young, exciting manager. Hey, Pellegrini’s stubbornness could make this wish come true!