How Could West Ham Line up next Season?
Manuel Pellegrini’s first season as West Ham manager will not go down in history as anything particularly special. The Hammers managed a 10thplace finish in 18/19, one better than they went the season before. After a very poor start to the campaign (losing four out of four of their openingfixtures) Pellegrini’s side looked down and out. The familiar murmurs of frustration descended over East-London; their ashen faced supporters muttering to each other ‘here we go again’. However, their form did improve before long, as West Ham bounced back impressively to beat the likes of Manchester United and Everton; much to the relief of the fans.
It was performances such as these that buoyed a sense of optimism surrounding West Ham’s future. But, how will they fair next season?
On many occasions - throughout the 18/19 campaign - Pellegrini’s side did, at times, produce the kind of football that hammers fans have been crying out for since their big money move to the Olympic stadium in 2016. A slicker, faster brand of football, characterized by precision and passing, revealed itself during brief spells throughout the season; as if shy or anxious to be expressed outside of the train ground. However, these performances were few and far between, but, nonetheless, noticeable altogether; leaving hammers fans wanting more. Perhaps it’s fair to say that, with ten new signings and a completely new style of football, the West Ham squad had much to get used to. Pellegrini was biding his time.
Looking ahead to next season, the West Ham faithful will be expecting – as opposed to hoping – that Pellegrini can take his squad to the next level. The hammers fans have run out of excuses. The fabled line: ‘West Ham are adjusting to their new stadium’ is no longer acceptable (they are heading into their fourth season at the London Stadium). But also, the excuses for poor results onthe grounds of it being ‘Pellegrini’s debut season as West Ham manger’ are no longer viable. In other words: they are out of date. The facts must be faced, and if results are poor, the acquiesce of West Ham fans will be tested.
The main goal will be to achieve European football and/ or a domestic cup run to be proud of. A finish in the bottom half of the table would be unacceptable, especially with the huge transfer budget (relatively speaking) that has been set aside over the last couple of seasons. For the second summer in a row David Sullivan and David Gold (Owners) have invested heavily in the transfer window. The summer of 2018 saw a record spend of nearly £100 million on new players (10). And, this summer seems to be no different. Pellegrini and Director of Football, Mario Husillos, have been busy early on in the transfer window. To date they have already captured the signatures of goalkeeping pair (...Roberto and ... Martin) and 23-year-old Spanish midfielder Pablo Fornals, who is away with their U21 squad for the European Championships in Italy.
Pellegrini has an attacking mindset. He favours a high line in defence, a possession game in midfield and an attack that is not short pace and power. During an Interview with the Guardian in May 2016 Pellegrini outlined his preferred style of football. He said: “What I want is to recover the ball as near to the opposition box as we can...you must be a speed team; one-v-one’s, making crosses and counter attacking at speed.” This much was evident during his tenures at both Manchester City and Malaga a like. The Chilean tended to pack-out his midfield with technically gifted playmakers. The likes of Samir Nasri, David Silva, Yaya Touré, Isco and Santi Cazorla – among others - come to mind. And, at West Ham he appears to be structuring his squad in much the same way.
With the signing of Pablo Fornals from Villareal (£24 million) completed, Pellegrini has at his disposal a whole host of talented playmakers. Fornals joins the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Jack Wilshire, Mark Noble, Declan Rice, Carlos Sanchez and Pedro Obiang in midfield. And, he isn’t done there either, with Sky Sports reporting that a bid of £13 million for Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan has been made as well as links to Marseille’s Morgan Sanson. With these two on his radar, the increasingly ossified midfielder, Pedro Obiang, looks all but set to depart the London Stadium this summer. Reports suggest that the Spaniard favours a move back to Serie A, and former club Sampadoria. Nonetheless, it is clear that Pellegrini is attempting to augment West Ham’s midfield ahead of next season.
Further up the pitch, West Ham will be looking to reinforce their striking options as a multitude of uncertainties have arisen within Pellegrini’s squad. Over the last couple of seasons the Hammers’ main front man has been none other than Marko Arnautovic. The big Austrian centre forward has, on the whole, been a great addition to squad having scored 21 goals across two seasons at West Ham, more than at any of his former clubs in the same time frame. However, Arnautovic has suffered a major dip in form following the collapse of his proposed move the Chinese Super League in January. He has hit the back of the net only twice since his return to the starting line-up. He has since apologised to his fans via social media, but perhaps his attempts to expiate his wrongdoings would be best expressed on the field of play.
Pellegrini will be hoping to sign some competition for Arnuatovic to keep him in check.To add fuel to the fire, fellow striker Javier Hernandez is concerned over his lack of starts, and it is thought that Pellegrini has not promised the Mexican a starting role for the hammers next season. There for it is no surprise that he has been increasingly linked to a move back to Spain. Valencia are said to be interested. This is coupled with the departure of Lucas Perez and former England striker Andy Carroll after his contract came to an end at the east-London club. Pellegrini will be desparate to fill their vacancies ahead of the new season - but, who?
His admirations for Celta Vigo and Uruguay hit-man, Maxi Gomez, is well known, and the hammers have been attempting to pry him away from the La Liga strugglers since the summer of 2018. The Hammers have also been linked to the impressive Alexis Claude Maurice (21). The French youngster has been on fire for Lorient in Ligue 2, scoring 14 goals in 35 appearances. With the addition of both these players, Pellegrini could, potentially (with a capital ‘P’) be adding the much-needed fire power to his front line. Whether he opts for a 4-3-3 formation or a 4-1-4-1, both players could provide West Ham with the success needed to qualify for a place in the Europa league next Season.
During his tenure at China Hebei Fortune, Pellegrini most commonly used a 4-1-4-1 formation, with a solitary defensive midfielder – Javier Mascherano – operating behind a solid bank of four and a sole striker. And, there is plenty to suggest that Pellegrini will set up in the same way next season with West Ham. Declan Rice emerged as one of the premier league brightest stars last season. Operating in that defensive midfield role, the 2018/19 young hammer of the year enjoyed a fantastic break- through season for West Ham. The 20-year-old made an impressive 38 appearances for the hammers last season, as well as being selected to represent England on two separate occasions in 2019. Rice has obvious talent and huge potential, with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City having both made transfer inquiries about the youngster this summer. However, West Ham have made it very clear that he is not for sale. The prospect of Rice playing as his solitary defensive midfielder behind an attacking-minded bank of four, perhaps consisting of Fornals, Lanzini, Wilshire and Anderson, will be very tempting to Pellegrini.
On the other hand, If Pellegrini lands his attacking transfer targets this summer, there is every chance that he will opt for the 4-3-3 formation instead. He used this system for the majority of the 18/19 season and at times it worked very well. A front three of Arnautovic, Anderson and Antonio provided more than enough pace and power, scoring nearly 30 goals between them in 18/19. The additions of Gomez and/ or Alexis Claude Maurice could influence Pellegrini’s decision to opt for a 4-3-3 over a 4-1-4-1 due to the abundance of attacking threats at his disposal. Only time will tell.
There are lot of ‘if’s’ surrounding the fate of West Ham this summer and next season. However - come August -there is genuine cause to be optimistic and excited (if you’re a West Ham fan) or intrigued (if you are not) about Pellegrini’s second season in charge in east-London.
