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Time for Allardyce to go back to basics

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Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Stoke City v Blackburn Rovers - Britannia StadiumI am a fan of the job Sam Allardyce has done at West Ham, but he needs to stop being so stubborn about certain things and adapt his tactics for the benefit of team. He seemed to totally lose the plot on Saturday against Chelsea, and concerns I have had about his tactics over the last few games really came to bear in this match.

Once again, the Hammers started the game without a recognised striker, something which since its introduction in the 3-0 demolition of Spurs at White Hart Lane, has yielded just two goals and two points in five games. It should have clicked by now that this system wasn’t going to work again.

Kevin Nolan was pushing forward the furthest, along with occasional help from Joe Cole but he is not at all suited to playing in any sort of lone striker role. His strength is playing off someone like Andy Carroll who provides him with scraps in the box. Unfortunately he has none of the attributes of such a striker. He is not good in aerial challenges, holding the ball up, nor at making that run in behind or into the box to meet a delivery. It was so frustrating that Stewart Downing on several occasions got into great crossing positions and there would be not one person to supply the ball to.

Indeed I was totally confused about what our idea for scoring a goal was. We started with one winger (Downing), and the only mode of attack we seemed to have was through him. I wasn’t sure if Joe Cole was playing as a winger on the other side or not as he kept drifting. In all fairness I thought Downing did all he could, but the offensive play was so predictable, and easy for Chelsea’s defence to deal with.

I know Carlton Cole isn’t everyones cup of tea, but why was he not starting? At least he is a presence in the box that may have actually caused some problems for John Terry and Gary Cahill and someone who would be in the box to try and get on the end of a cross. Remember how he played against Chelsea last season? I’m not saying that would happen again, but the memory of that match may well have played on Chelsea minds. I also think playing 2 out and out wingers would have been the right way to go against Chelsea, whose central midfield are extremely hard to play through, especially the way Mourinho plays. But you need people in the box to do that!

Once we were 2-0 down, Allardyce promptly made a double substitution. These were some odd choices too in my opinion. I don’t think Joe Cole should have been one of the men to come off to begin with, as he is one of the few players we have that can take a chance, and create something out of nothing. On came Diame to replace him, who then seemed to be positioned on the right wing, for which he is unsuited. He may have been one player capable of making some runs down the middle and giving Chelsea something to think about, but he was by and large wasted on the wing. The truth is Nolan should have been the one to come off, to allow either Diame or Morrison to occupy the attacking midfield role. It’s not that I dislike Nolan, and he has been a very good servant for the club, but sometimes he needs to be sacrificed for the benefit of the team.

Also to come on was Modibo Maiga, instead of Carlton Cole, which again was a mistake. Maiga is totally unsuited to play in the lone striker role, and while he did try hard on Saturday, he just isn’t up to the mark at this level. He had one glorious chance, which was pretty much our only one of the match, which he squandered. Apart from that he posed no problem whatsoever to Chelsea.

It wasn’t a shock to lose to Chelsea, but it is annoying that they didn’t have to play particularly well to beat us so easily, and that for me was down to the tactics and the personnel used for the wrong jobs.

Again, I still back Allardyce to turn things around for us but he needs to think about his tactics more in games rather than just keep flogging a dead horse with the strikerless formation.

I am not going mention any more about the Andy Carroll and lack of strikers situation as enough has already been said. Allardyce should go back to basics and go with the system that served him well for a lot of his tenure, with two wingers out of Downing, Cole and Jarvis supplying crosses for a certain Carlton Cole.

I’m hoping Nolan will also be utilised better in this, if Cole is able to win enough balls in the box. It’s not what we expected at the start of the season, but it has to be more likely to produce goals than what we have been doing lately.

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6 comments

  • James says:

    It seems simple enough to me. Your article pretty much sums it up. Everyone can see it apart from the most important person who makes the decisions.

    If we start with the toothless no striker policy against Fulham this Saturday, Gold and Sullivan should walk straight down to the manager’s office and offer him his P45 there and then.

    Surely playing a half fit Carlton Cole has got to be better than playing no striker at all? If Cole is that unfit he can neither start or come on during the game, what was the point in giving him a contract? In fact, what’s the point of even having him on the bench?

    A loss this Saturday, I believe, will see the end of Allardyce’s reign. We must pick up at least 9 points from the next 4 games. If we’re bottom three come the turn on the year, we will go down. It’s as simple as that.

    Allardyce has to swallow his pride and come up with an alternative tactic before it’s too late.

    • Dave says:

      There is only 1 reason he plays the no striker system and that is to keep Nolan in the team. If he was to play a forward and we do have some if played properly, Nolan would not get in the side as all our midfielders are better than he is. Bfs has to drop Nolan or walk as both together are sending us down .

  • OoxfordHammer says:

    You miss spelt your headline, should of read “Time for Allerdyce to go back to Bolton”.

  • matt says:

    it makes me so sick that allerdyce keeps playing nolan up front not only is he not a striker i fill he is the worst player on the pitch at the moment. just because he is our captain dose not give him the right to start when he is so off form. i think we need to go back to playing with 2 strikers a simple 4-4-2 formation.

  • olibats says:

    I think we all know what the problems are but SA is convinced that he is right and blames missed chances, refereeing decisions and now he’s starting to blame the players themselves. We know there’s no way he’ll change tactics, the Dave’s have said they won’t sack him and it’s pretty unlikely he’ll walk away, will he. We can talk until we’re blue in the face but I just don’t see how things can be changed unless Sam goes. Oh well, at least Christmas is coming!

  • grayster says:

    Excellent piece. Agree on all points. Stubbornness is something we all know SA has but this is just looking like bloody-mindedness. I can not believe he will attempt the same against Fulham. Would he?!? it’s almost like we’re just winging it till Carroll returns or we pick someone up in Jan. I don’t want to change manager but I didn’t expect a relegation battle. After last season, the football we are seeing at the Boleyn is simply shocking.

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