Tomorrow’s game is probably one of the biggest for West Ham United in the club’s history.
Emotions will be running extremely high and although this season has been a memorable Boleyn Ground send-off, everyone connected with the club will be desperate to see a performance tomorrow night.
Manchester United have their own incentive ahead of the clash under the lights. Van Gaal could well face the sack if the club fail to qualify for the Champions League next season so this game is a must-win for them.
The Hammers will be desperate to atone for last weekend’s showing against Swansea City, a disappointing 4-1 defeat that ended West Ham’s slim hopes of Champions League football. There were a number of problems with the manner in which the team lost that game and fans will be hoping to see a few changes in the team sheet against United.
Michail Antonio needs to be moved further up the pitch.
Pretty much every West Ham fan has said this now and Bilic needs to make this happen. Selecting a natural right-back will make a huge difference as Antonio can concentrate on doing what he does best by running at the opposition’s defence.
There were moments where Antonio went forward against Swansea and looked sublime. It looks like the Hammers have got a real player on their hands here and his talent must be nurtured in the correct way. Yes, he’s incredibly strong, but that doesn’t give you the defensive awareness to master the right-back position.
The Hammers have missed his goals and his pace is an excellent attribute for the team to exploit on the counter attack. He may not possess the flare that the likes of Lanzini and Payet boast but there aren’t many better wingers in the league than Antonio. If he’s put further up the pitch the entire team and crowd will be lifted.
Play to Carroll’s strengths
There was a real lack of urgency to play the ball into Carroll against Swansea. When the Hammers use the striker effectively, he has returned the favour by scoring goals.
With Manchester United missing Marouane Fellaini through suspension, Andy Carroll will look to dominate in the air against the Red Devils.
The likes of Antonio, Cresswell, Payet and Noble are excellent at delivering quality balls for Carroll to convert. If Sakho also features tomorrow, there’s no reason as to why the Hammers shouldn’t play to their strengths by whipping crosses into the box.
Should Collins play?
A lot of Hammers fans are calling for the Welsh international to return against Manchester United. Although the defence was to blame for the loss to Swansea, a lot of the issues came down Antonio’s side and the Swans targeted this area of weakness.
It looks as if Reid and Ogbonna are Bilic’s first choice centre-backs and there have been times when both defenders have performed superbly together this season. Against the pace of Rashford, they should be the preferred options as they are more capable of dealing with quicker strikers.
Who should play right-back? Should Collins return? Comment below
