A lot of what is going wrong at West Ham United can be put down to the playing staff ajd their shortcomings on the pitch. However, that’s not the whole problem, even if some fans think it’s the largest issue at the moment.
One of the major issues with this West Ham side and the way they’re playing is the system that Manuel Pellegrini is persisting with. The Chilean’s go-to formations are a 4-1-4-1 with Declan Rice sitting between the back four and the midfield four, and a 4-2-3-1 with a double pivot in midfield.
However, these two systems both leave Sebastien Haller horrible isolated on his own up front, and whilst that may ultimately be down to the failings of the club’s midfield to make chances and get the Frenchman opportunities in front of goal, it’s not helped by the tactical outlook.
That’s where Pellegrini needs to take action. The fans have long been crying out for a system that allows them to play with two strikers, and considering how the wide options that he has at his disposal have been underperforming, moving away from using those creative wingers could be key.
With that being said, and with the ability that Arthur Masuaku and Ryan Fredericks have going forward, it could make a lot of sense to utilise a back three with two more attacking wing-backs either side in the form of the aforementioned full-backs, then a midfield pivot behind a number ten and two strikers.
This seems to be what the fans want, and should the Irons go into the Arsenal clash on Monday night with a fluid back three that can become a 3-5-2 when attacking and a 5-3-2 when on the backfoot then they may well find a formula that can work in the top flight.
Can Pellegrini save his job by changing his system?
Yes
No
The Irons could quite easily use Michail Antonio and Haller upfront, bring Issa Diop in alongside Fabian Balbuena and Angelo Ogbonna at the back whilst utilising Felipe Anderson or Pablo Fornals in front of Mark Noble and Rice then it will not only make the fans happy, but could also see a change in fortunes.
