OPINION
West Ham United made it four games unbeaten in all competitions, and three wins out of their last four, with their 3-1 victory over Manchester United on Saturday.
And while it can surely only be a coincidence, it hasn’t escaped many observers notice that the team’s fine run of form has coincided with summer signing Jack Wilshere being out injured.
The former Arsenal man was one of the first names on the team sheet for manager Manuel Pellegrini in the early part of this season, but the 5ft 7in midfielder [Source: Transfermarkt] has recently been absent with an ankle injury.
What seemed like another major blow to a struggling team at the time has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Hammers.
That’s because it has allowed Pellegrini to happen upon a system that actually suits his team. He has discovered that a midfield two of Wilshere and/or Mark Noble/Carlos Sanchez, is simply not the way to go in the Premier League.
Instead, a midfield trio of Noble, Declan Rice and Pedro Obiang has finally enabled the team to exert some control on games, and has resulted in a reversal of the side’s earlier dire fortunes.
At last there are legs in midfield, finally there is protection for the defence, and thankfully there is a bit of attacking thrust to the West Ham midfield.
The middle of the pitch was where the Hammers lost their early season games, but in recent weeks it has seen them dominate proceedings.
This isn’t to say that Wilshere should never be considered for selection again, indeed he would surely play better in the current system than the one he was employed in earlier this term, merely that he needs to work his way back into the side once has has recovered from injury.
Pellegrini obviously fancies the England international, that’s why he pushed to recruit him this summer, but the Chilean needs to be subjective and look at the results on the pitch.
The former Manchester City boss has finally found a system that works and Wilshere, for all his talents, simply doesn’t warrant a place in it even when fit.
The Noble, Rice and Obiang trio is here to stay at the London Stadium, and Wilshere’s big reputation should count for nought once he’s back in the frame.
