West Ham: Two immediate changes before the Southampton clash

West Ham was lucky to end up with a draw against the Seagulls. To sure up Tuesday night’s game at Southampton, they will need to make a few crucial changes.

To quickly recap a dismal day at the office, the term lucky might be a sloppy word to through around, but West Ham was just that. The Hammer’s were a fortunate ricochet into Tomas Soucek‘s head away from losing Sunday’s match against Brighton. Slow, sloppy, and uninterested are just some of the other names to go along with the “anything but good” match yesterday.

As the holiday season rolls on, and the Premier League games roll even fast, West Ham has a  huge will to climb before facing off against Southampton on Tuesday evening. You’d have to go back to almost the beginning of December to find a successful Saints win, as they now sit just ahead of the Hammers in 9th overall. However, don’t let that fool you, as Ralph Hasenhuttl has been known to get his clubs across the line on more than one occasion.

Now, back to David Moyes’ West Ham predicament. The state of the club first took a hit after Antonio went out, and it only got worse when Arthur Masuaku had an issue with his knee. Since then, Moyes has been stuck making changes to the formation and the personnel on the pitch. With Michail Antonio potentially making his way back, Moyes should start right there.

West Ham: Two immediate changes before the Southampton clash

No matter which camp you are in ( Haller in or Haller out), Sebastien Haller cannot do it all on his own. At times, he seems disinterested, while other times, he is a man among boys. In the most recent Brighton clash, he held 2% of the possession and won 3 aerial balls, but besides that, there wasn’t much else to report. Haller cannot do it all, but we have seen Antonio do much with less.

If Michail is fit, that needs to be the first change for Tuesday night. The other change needing to be implemented a bit of a bittersweet moment. Mark Noble isn’t the force he once was, but there was a glimmer of hope yesterday that might give way to a much-needed replacement for Mr. West Ham. That change comes in the form of a former “jewel” shining once more.

If anyone looked good Sunday afternoon, it was Manuel Lanzini. Lanzini seems to be in good form and needs to be given a shot in just two days. He has been struggling since getting hurt way back when preparing for the World Cup in his native country, but he looks to be on the way back finally. A well-running Lanzini would be exactly what Moyes and the Hammers need.

He came up big with the assist on Ben Johnson‘s first career goal, on a play that could’ve died if he didn’t go all out on the play. Between that spark and the one that Antonio gives week in and week out, the chance is worth taking. West Ham is hanging on by a thread, and if their form cannot be mended, a quick turnover of games could hinder the season. In this scenario, a big risk can equal a big reward.