OPINION
West Ham United proceeded a painfully toothless performance as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Premier League strugglers Burnley on Sunday.
The Hammers were riding high after a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Thursday night but they appeared stuck in the mud against the Clarets.
There will be precious few positives for manager Manuel Pellegrini to take from the game, as Chris Wood and Dwight McNeil put the contest beyond his side’s reach.
As usual there is plenty to be gleaned from the contest, and Forever West Ham has rounded up three things that can be learned from West Ham’s defeat to Burnley.
Right back help needed in January
It’s clear that utilising Michail Antonio at right back is not a profitable long term plan. The Englishman, on a reported £70,000-a-week [Source: Spotrac], is of course a winger and he’s only filling in, but this cannot continue.
Pellegrini needs to pursue some help at right back next month. Perhaps Ryan Fredericks will return in the New Year but with Pablo Zabaleta ageing rapidly it should be a priority for Pellegrini to reinforce the right hand side of the defence.
Someone who can operate at right back as well as centre back, in the Callum Chambers mould, would be a good idea for a Hammers team that is also missing centre half Fabian Balbuena.
Obiang shouldn’t have been dropped
Pellegrini’s decision to drop Pedro Obiang to the bench in favour of captain Mark Noble was bizarre in the extreme. The Spaniard produced a stellar performance against Southampton but was cast aside on Sunday.
Noble struggled throughout the defeat to Burnley and never seemed to be able to get to grips with the contest. He looks like he doesn’t have the legs to operate in a midfield two, as his partnership with Declan Rice failed to spark into life.
Obiang doesn’t have the leadership qualities of Noble, of course, but on the pitch he is a safer bet as this moment in time. That was certainly proved against Sean Dyche’s side.
Arnautovic return rushed
It seemed like a gamble to throw Marko Arnautovic back into the starting line up after injury and so it proved as the Austrian international produced little of note against the Clarets.
There’s no doubt that he is one of the most talented players at the club, but if he’s not fully fit then he’s simply not an asset to Pellegrini’s team. He needs to be given the next game off because this was too soon for him.
Andy Carroll put in a decent showing off the bench and should certainly be considered for a starting spot next time out. Whoever starts up front against Brighton on Wednesday, though, it shouldn’t be Arnautovic.
