After starting February with all guns blazing, West Ham’s form has declined in the last few weeks. We are dropping valuable points during a key stage of the season and our promotion rivals keep picking up points. This article will note five reasons why
our form has declined of late.
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Playing a striker on the right wing
Big Sam has often has played several players on the right wing this season. His latest victim is our new signing Nicky Maynard. Although he has the pace to beat full backs, a player of his goal scoring ability needs to be playing up front where he can use his pace to get behind the defenders. What is the point of signing a striker with a good goal scoring record if you are not going to play him up front?
Carlton Cole needs a strike partner and needs to start scoring
Too often this season Cole has to battle alone to win aerial challenges. When he does win an aerial challenge and manages to get a flick on, there is nobody there in a claret and blue shirt to react. Furthermore, playing alone denies him opportunities to score goals. There is no link up play up front and the opposition defenders double up on him. As a result Cole gets frustrated and his performances start to dip. In the past, Cole has been at his best when he has played alongside a strike partner.
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The defenders always look long
Whenever a defender has possession of the ball, the first thing they do is to play it long to Cole. They hardly ever look up to play it short to the midfielders that have he ability to create an opening for Cole. Against ‘Boro playing long to Cole was not effective however, the defenders kept playing long. It gave the impression that we only have one way to play. The opposition have noticed this and tactical prepare for this long ball.
Tomkins should move back to defence
Although Tomkins has been in good form in his new adopted position as a holding midfielder, playing him in that position denies one of our creative players an opportunity in the first team. At the moment we are not scoring enough goals to win games. Therefore, we need one of our skilful and creative players like Jack Collison and Henri Lansbury to be on the pitch to create openings for the striker (s). Tomkins should move back to defence and Noble should play as the holding midfielder. Noble will suit the position well because he always puts in a tough tackle and hardly loses the ball in this league. This will enable the likes of Collison and Lansbury a spot in the first team. They will have the licence to play further in midfield and create openings for the team to score.
It is typical West Ham
When have we ever achieved our goals the easy way? Over the years whenever we are fighting relegation or fighting for promotion, we have always achieved it by an exciting, nervous ending and achieved it by the most difficult way. It is just typical
West Ham to achieve things the most complicated way and this season is no different thus far. Clinching automatic promotion on the last day of the season would be a typical West Ham scenario, although we all wish we could seal it by mid April.
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