Time for Plan B
West Ham have played some very good football in the last four games and have lost all four games. The 4-3-3 system can look very good at times and with the right players (Collison?) could be very successful. It just seems that West Ham don't have a plan B at the moment.
One of the problems with Zola's 4-3-3 system (apart from the lack of goals) is that the players are having to adapt to accommodate the system and the system is not adapting to accommodate them. Hence we have Faubert struggling at right back (can you tell this was written at half time - awesome second half from Faubert) and Etherington's strengths as a winger lost playing more in field.
Also when the system is clearly not working against teams Zola and Clarke seem to do nothing to change things around. It is always going to be difficult to play teams like Arsenal and Man Utd off the park. Whilst the system could work well against teams like Boro, who we play on Saturday, we need to be able to adapt in games.
A big problem for West Ham could be if we get sucked into a relegation battle. In a relegation fight teams have to play to their strengths. They also have to fight for the ball. The current system probably wouldn't be the one wanted in a fight.
Of course the main solution to these problems would be for the board to give Zola the money to bring in players who can play the system. To be honest at the moment Zola is trying to make a silk purse with a few too many pigs' ears in the mix.
A mix of Curbs' pragmatism with Zola's idealism is possibly what is needed at the moment. Oh, and a plan B.
posted by Keir Clarke @ 8:42 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I completely disagree. We were never going to Old Trafford with this squad and winning, not on Man U's current form. Against Arsenal we looked as good as we could have. 442 would have have been unispiring and we still would have lost.
Plan B is this: Keep rotating players ; make them want to play. Keep with the 433, give them time, which we have. Knee jerk reactions and curbishly like pragmatism will never get us forward.
I ask you this: If not now, when are we going to try something new?
Paul
Thank you for posting the game directly on your site.
Don't get me wrong - I like the way we are playing. I'm just beginning to worry that we look a bit one dimensional and can't mix it up when we need to.
I think Collison looked like he could be the key - someone who might be able to find the key pass. But Man U had taken their foot off by then so it's hard to judge.
I watched Collison in Toronto: he looked good. Frankly, though, I don' think we can mix it up with Man Utd right now: they have the bit between their teeth. There aren't going many teams that hold them to 1 or 2 goals at Old Trafford this season. I think we can hold our heads up. One thing that I have been pleased to see is that the teams fitness had gone way up. Against Arsenal they looked sharp right to the end. Tha's not something we've had for a couple of seasons.
Cheers Paul
I think when your playing 4-3-3 and you have Hayden Mullins as you center midfielder, your expectations can only be so high. I like the lad and the role he's played for us, but he's always been a Championsip midfielder in my eyes. Collison looked quick and strong even if Man U let up a bit, and I've thought a powerful midfielder is the one thing we've truly needed.
The other thing that bothers me is the way we fail to adjust when defenses start to close down quick, alla Arsenal Sunday and Man U last night. Sometimes we never look like getting it out of our own half.
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