Who will make the West Ham XI that gets the unlikely successful task of playing a very talented Leicester team? Well, if it were picked by effort levels there wouldn’t be many senior team players.
Just two short days after a heartbreaking but all too predictable loss to Crystal Palace, West Ham and Manuel Pellegrini have to figure out a team that can try and slow down a very fast Leicester City team. After the poor effect at Selhurst Park Pellegrini should use this as an opportunity to send some messages, but he can’t afford to with his managerial future on the line.
Leicester City are also coming off of a loss, 4-0 at the hands of Liverpool. The eventual Premier League champions took advantage of a Leicester team that has its fair share of injuries and took their chances well to create space between themselves and second-place Leicester. Despite the loss, Leicester are a team that will move forward from that bit of adversity and must be licking their chops at this West Ham team.
So, how will the Hammers line up? Here is the predicted XI:
Fabianski
Fredericks – Diop – Ogbonna – Masuaku
Anderson – Rice – Noble – Fornals
Antonio – Haller
Bench: Roberto, Balbuena, Zabaleta, Sanchez, Snodgrass, Lanzini, Ajeti
Sticking with the 4-4-2 is the best move for Pellegrini, and the players who come into this team make it a more pacey team. Ryan Fredericks is an obvious boost over Pablo Zabaleta, Arthur Masuaku is quicker than the suspended Aaron Cresswell, and Felipe Anderson is much quicker than Robert Snodgrass.
Dropping Snodgrass, who scored against Palace, is a pretty easy decision in this case. Yes, he scored the goal but Snodgrass couldn’t get his corner kick deliveries past the first man and he was dispossessed many times down the wing, compacting the issue of Zaha vs. Zaba. As mentioned, Anderson has more pace and can whip a cross in from either wing.
With the players we have available, this is the perfect opportunity to go 3-5-2. Both fullbacks are more comfortable up the wing, we are short on central midfielders that can play defensive or box-to-box, and it still allows for two strikers.
It doesn’t matter who is picked in this team, West Ham are up against it with a strong Leicester team. Their midfield is extremely solid, their attack is potent, and their manager has them playing organized, disciplined football. It’s a team the Hammers should be envious of, and it’s a team they’ll need to dig in against to get a result.