da fazobetai： Make no mistake about it, Slaven Bilic’s job is hanging by a thread.
da premier bet： The West Ham board may have come out in support of their under-fire manager following a humiliating defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, but this is the Premier League we’re talking about – most tenures have a lifespan of less than a calendar year and there’s only so long the Hammers can continue picking up poor results.
For a club with such fantastic support and such an incredible new ground, a relegation battle seems practically inconceivable. So if the Irons aren’t a little further from the drop zone after their next four games (Liverpool, Burnley, Hull and Swansea), the club will feel compelled to make a change.
Bilic still has time on his side and could yet turn West Ham’s torrid campaign around – but he must act quickly. With that in mind, FootballFanCast look at FOUR ways Slaven can save his job.
Change to four at the back
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The three-man defensive set-up provided some respite in results immediately following West Ham’s woeful start to the season but it’s really not produced the goods since – particularly during hefty batterings at the hands of Manchester United at Arsenal.
The back three aren’t offered enough protection from midfield and although an ideal candidate on paper, the wing-back role isn’t getting the best out of Aaron Cresswell defensively or offensively on the left-hand side. Likewise, we all know about Michail Antonio’s vulnerabilities when in his own third.
It’s time for West Ham to revert back to something familiar – namely, a 4-2-3-1 system – which is commonplace in the Premier League – that has two screening midfielders in front of a four-strong backline.
Of course, right-back remains the problem area with Sam Byram sidelined and the ageing Alvaro Arbeloa the only real alternative within the squad. But whether it’s a centre-half coming over or an industrious midfielder filling in, Bilic needs to find a candidate who can do the job and complete a four-man backline until reinforcements arrive in January.
Reduce games to set piece warfare
Only bottom-placed Hull City have scored fewer goals from open play than West Ham this season but in turn, the Hammers have scored the fourth-most goals from set pieces with an impressive seven.
Set pieces often decide games in the Premier League, especially for those at the more worrying end of the table, and although it may not be particularly befitting of the ‘West Ham way’, Bilic can’t afford to not take advantage of his side’s potency from such situations.
After all, the Hammers have some great options in the air – such as Winston Reid, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll – and three fantastic deliverers of the ball in Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Aaron Cresswell, so there’s no reason the Irons can’t further maximise their chances of scoring from dead ball situations.
Making sure set pieces are the difference may require keeping open play as tight as possible, adopting a – dare I say it – Sam Allardyce approach in the process. But set pieces are West Ham’s likeliest chance of scoring at the moment, so it’s down to Bilic to ensure their games are decided by them.
Image courtesy of Whoscored.
Cut the squad
Bilic’s revelation that some players aren’t pulling their weight in training is incredibly worrying at this point in the season, especially with West Ham currently just a point above the relegation zone.
Despite the fanfare surrounding many of their arrivals, it’s quite clear a number of summer signings just aren’t up to standard and that appears to have watered down the mentality of the entire squad, who arguably entered the campaign complacent anyway after being sold dreams of European football at their brand-spanking-new stadium during the summer.
Bilic may not survive until the January transfer window if the current results continue, but it’s at least close enough for him to use as a threat in the hope of getting some players to buck up their ideas.
Negativity and laziness can spread like wildfire in the dressing room, so Bilic needs to identify the biggest culprits, tell them they’ll be off in January and send them to train with the reserves in the meantime. That should get a reaction out of the team and make them aware of how serious the situation has become.
At the same time, West Ham have used the second-most players of any side in the Premier League this term, a whopping 26, and the sheer volume of options in each position is seemingly causing more problems than it solves. Trimming down the squad should save Bilic a few selection headaches and allow him to focus on key individuals rather than keeping everybody happy.
Image courtesy of Transfermarkt.
Tougher internal punishments for ill-discipline
West Ham have the worst disciplinary record in the Premier League so far this season, picking up 36 yellow cards and two reds in just 14 games. Admittedly, some have come out of frustration due to poor performances but nonetheless, that yellow card count is far too high at this point in the campaign – the Premier League average is under 28.
It may not seem a huge issue and West Ham fans undoubtedly like to see their team get stuck in, even if the referee doesn’t always agree. But yellow cards affect games; they give away free kicks and allow opposition attackers to run at certain individuals knowing they’ll be reluctant to challenge; and red cards affect team selections, which isn’t making Bilic’s job any easier.
It’s likely West Ham already have an internal punishment system in place for such indiscretions. But it’s proving to be a real thorn in their side this season and Bilic must look to improve discipline by bringing in tougher sanctions. Fewer bookings and suspensions could have a surprisingly big impact on West Ham’s campaign.
Image courtesy of Whoscored.