In a cliché match were everything will be riding on the performance of West Ham as they face Southampton, how did the lineup turn out for the Hammers?
I honestly got tired of calling it a much “must-win” so I went for cliché, but in all honesty, it is for West Ham United and the lineup was going to be a sign of if the Gaffer would make it right and go for the win or have the Hammers sit back on their laurels. Before getting into it, here is the lineup for the Hammers vs the Saints.
WEST HAM UNITED STARTING XI
Fabianski
Ngakia – Diop – Ogbonna – Cresswell
Rice – Noble – Fornals
Bowen – Haller – Antonio
Substitutions – Randolph, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Masuaku, Snodgrass, Lanzini, Anderson
The big glaring piece about the lineup is the 3 big changes in the West Ham United attack and midfield. It finally looks like ole David Moyes might be pushing a 4-3-3 / 4-4-2 or something to that effect and fellow site expert Adam Smith was very close to predicting that this week.
The changes, Jarrod Bowen, Sebastien Haller, and Pablo Fornals and the exciting part is that fans for weeks have been calling for this motion and formation as well. Going to a 4-3-3 or something similar to that formation (maybe a 4-4-2) opens up the attack but also adds pressure to the midfield to work a lot.
Not only will it open the attack up, it now gives Haller 2 other attacks to play with which is, according to most, the best way to play him. There is no doubt that Fornals and Nobes will make their way up on the attack as well really keeping the pressure on the Saints.
It might add pressure to the defender and midfield but just being honest… this is exciting and it seems the Moyes has finally gotten it right. Clearly, we have 90 minutes to watch and see but everything at the moment is pointing upward and that is such a relief. Be loud, be proud, and COME ON YOU IRONS!