3 Things Pellegrini must do to solve West Ham United’s troubles
West Ham United are in deep trouble after their recent losses against Burnley and Newcastle United. The two fixtures saw them concede six goals while they scored only two.
Since their 2-0 win against Manchester United in September, the Hammers have failed to register a win in the Premier League. Their winless streak began against Oxford in the EFL Cup, losing 4-0 to the third-tier team.
Pellegrini’s team is currently languishing near the relegation zone. In their 12 games this campaign, they have won just three and have conceded 20 times, which is a bad sign.
Let’s take a look at three things Pellegrini must do to revive their hopes of finishing higher up the table.
A Back-up Goalkeeper
The Hammers allowed Adrian to leave on a free transfer and that decision has proven to be very costly.
Their first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is out of the team with a hip injury and Roberto, who joined Hammers from Espanyol on a free transfer, has been unable to match the requirements of the league.
He showed a lack of quality in the last two games, including a terrible own goal against Burnley last weekend. And barring him, David Martins is their only choice in goal.
Thus, it would be good if Pellegrini goes for a promising goalkeeper in the January transfer window.
Team Selection
After losing 2-0 to Everton with a 4-1-4-1 formation, the Chilean opted to make a change that saw Pablo Zabaleta being preferred over Ryan Fredericks against Newcastle. Zabaleta, 34 could not match the speed of Allan Saint-Maximin and he ran riot against the Hammers.
In another instance, after the visit to Goodison Park, Angelo Ogbonna was replaced by Balbuena, who has been far from decent so far.
Pellegrini has to start with players who have a better record and are more consistent. Any mistake in the starting line-up could cost them severely, as they are set to lock horns with Tottenham and Chelsea after the international break.
Raise the team spirit
Key players like Felipe Anderson, Declan Rice and Sebastien Haller have put up poor performances this season and their intensity seems to have decreased.
Last season, Haller scored 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt playing alongside Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic. This season, his goal tally accounts to just 4.
Declan Rice’s presence in the midfield was impressive last season and as a result, he was called up to the England national team. Since then, he hasn’t contributed much to the team.
Read more
- Why West Ham should make a move for Xherdan Shaqiri in January
- Why Gabriel Barbosa would be a brilliant fit at West Ham
- Why Franck Kessie would be a brilliant signing for West Ham
Verdict
Pellegrini also has the option to call back Grady Diangana, who is on loan at West Brom. He has been in fine form this season and could work wonders, as Manuel Lanzini is out injured.
West Ham need to make some changes once the league resumes and if Pellegrini takes the right steps, they would be capable of turning things around.
