West Ham travel to Brentford on Saturday afternoon and after a difficult start to life under Julen Lopetegui, it’s already a must-win game.
The Spaniard has overseen just one victory in his first seven games in all competitions since replacing David Moyes in the summer, although he has had to face four of this season’s current top five in the Premier League.
Regardless of that, some corners of the fanbase are already getting restless and are looking at the Hammers’ next two top-flight fixtures – away at Brentford and at home to Ipswich Town – as must-win games that will help ease the frustration of the first five weeks of the campaign.
One of the biggest issues Lopetegui has faced this season is finding a balanced midfield that not only protects the defence but can also compliment the attack.
Against Chelsea last weekend, Lopetegui admitted that his decision to play Guido Rodriguez from the start was a ‘mistake’ after he replaced the Argentine with Tomas Soucek before the half-time whistle.
Elsewhere, the team doesn’t look tight enough defensively, having shipped 12 goals in its last four games. It sounds silly but, before the collapse at Anfield on Wednesday night, things did look a little more solid at the back, coming with the introduction of Jean-Clair Todibo alongside Max Kilman.
All of the above does make predicting our line up against Brentford very difficult, especially when you consider Edson Alvarez’s suspension potentially forcing Lopetegui to bring Rodriguez back into the team, who has struggled with the pace of English football up to this point.
But I’ve had a go anyway. Here’s what I’ve got…
Alphsone Areola returns in goal, as do Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson in defence, after all three sat out the Carabao Cup clash against Liverpool on Wednesday night.
Their deputies, Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell, didn’t particularly perform badly at Anfield but its likely Lopetegui will revert to his strongest full-backs for this one.
Todibo keeps his place alongside Kilman after an impressive showing in the week. That sounds somewhat bizarre to say after we conceded five goals but you can safely say none of those goals were Todibo’s fault. Throughout the 90 minutes he looked composed on the ball and comfortable alongside Kilman, and it was a much better showing from the Frenchman than is only other start, which came against Bournemouth.
In midfield, Lopetegui has a bit of a conundrum. The expectation is Rodriguez will be recalled to deputise for the suspended Alvarez, but I’d like to see something different here.
Firstly, Soucek has to keep his place. Our midfield looked a lot more resolute and balanced when he came on against Chelsea last weekend and he was solid again against Liverpool in midweek, barely putting a foot wrong. Meanwhile, Carlos Soler looks a capable deputy. In this midfield, Soucek would take up the role of the deeplying midfielder, purely because of the ground his able to cover. Soler would take on the more forward thinking role.
Lucas Paqueta plays in the No.10 role but will have licence to drift out wide, as well as drop back in and help Soucek and Soler out of possession.
Out wide, Crysencio Summerville has been really impressive in the last two games and deserves to keep his place out on the left. His pace, directness and willingness to try and beat his man makes him just as lethal as Mohammed Kudus, who needs to explanation for his place on the right wing.
And I would play Jarrod Bowen through the middle. Michail Antonio can longer be expected to start games and is more effective as an impact sub, while there are still question marks over Niclas Fullkrug’s fitness.
It’s speculative and there remains question marks over that midfield. If Alvarez wasn’t suspended, I’d want to see him and Soucek in there but for me, I cannot see Rodriguez working for us in midfield and therefore it has be Soler alongside the Czech.
What do you think?
