Tactic talk – How could Pellegrini make better use of Wilshere
West Ham United have had a rough start to this season, losing all four games played so far. New manager Manuel Pellegrini is probably finding it tough to make the players gel together into a very good team. The Hammers have spent a fortune this summer to bring in some very good players, along with the appointment of a new boss.
Hence, it will take time for the Chilean to get his act together and make the team play in the way he wants. One of those umpteen West Ham players signed was Jack Wilshere from Arsenal on a free transfer.
There is an abundance of expectations locked with this move for the midfielder, who wanted regular playing time to revive his faltering career. He has started all the games for West Ham but has looked a bit out of context. Attitude can’t be a question because he is getting his wish of playing every game.
There are some issues though, with the way Pellegrini has set up his team tactically. Here’s what the Chilean could do to make better use of the 26-year-old Englishman.
Change the midfield shape
We are all well aware of the formation Pellegrini prefers – 4-2-3-1 with a midfield pivot, attacking wingers and progressive full-backs. But the requirement in this system is that the two midfielders have to be real hard-workers, in and out of possession. They must press high, channelise the team’s play and also look to be calm on the ball to set up attacking moves.
Wilshere is a type of who can do the latter part without much fuss. However, the former part isn’t really his biggest strength. So the manager deploying him in a 2-man midfield is a huge mistake. Wilshere should either play in the No.10 role, where he can be used as an attacking luxury, or deploy a 3-man midfield.
Read More: Why West Ham could struggle to keep hold of their £25m star if things don’t change before January
The better and sensible thing to do would be to change the system to a 4-3-3 and play two holding midfielders along with Wilshere in the central area. This is probably the only way to make better use of the 26-year-old, who is a treasure on the ball, but a broken piece of wood off it.