West Ham United: The Ideal XI To Avoid Hammers' Relegation
Next weekend, the home stretch of the EPL season begins in earnest.
Avram Grant, Scott Parker and the rest of the lads at West Ham United have just eight more games this campaign, from which they’ll have to take enough points to avoid relegation.
While relegation fellows Wigan and WBA have been dismal of late, Wolves display spirited play on a regular basis, as do Birmingham.
Considering the Hammers’ upcoming opposition—first Manchester United, followed by Botlon, Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City and more—it’s essential that Grant fields the squad’s ideal XI in every match.
Here it is, in all its glory.
This article is predicated on the belief that Grant will continuing fielding the 4-3-3 formation, alternately described as a 3-4-3 with a floating midfield/defensive position or a 4-3-2-1 with two rows of strikers up front.
Goalkeeper: Robert Green
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This one is all too easy, because there’s really only one option.
Thankfully, Green is a great man to have when something big is on the line (other than the World Cup, that is). West Ham’s fiery keeper has allowed only one goal in the last three league matches.
As he showed last week at White Hart Lane, Green is as gruff as they come when a game is on the line (he made a whopping nine saves). Though he looks a little like "Blur" frontman Damon Albarn, he plays more like an aggravated badger.
Green comes up against stiff competition for the rest of the season, but he’s undoubtedly the right man for the job.
Central Defense: Matthew Upson
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As Hammers captain, Upson provides support, guidance, camaraderie and an essential will to win. All of these things stoke the Irons’ fire.
Upson's recent injury woes showed just how important he is to the side. The team struggled to prevent opposition goals in his absence and have two consecutive clean sheets since his return.
Like John Terry at Chelsea, Upson is the anchor around which the rest of the team swings. His morale will be essential in helping West Ham avoid relegation.
Central Defense: James Tomkins
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James Tomkins plays with an indefatigable passion that mimics the classic frenzy of the fans at Upton Park. He is a tall, physical central defender whose speed and tackling have been indispensable in the Irons’ recent run of form.
At only 22 years old, Tomkins is exactly the kind of player West Ham needs in its starting rotation. Consistent play will help develop his solid natural instincts and turn him into the kind of defensive anchor the side needs to fill Upson’s shoes as the 31-year-old captain grows closer to retirement.
Tomkins is also a true gentleman. Despite his aggressive defensive techniques, he finished the 2009-10 season without receiving a single yellow card in 47 appearances.
Left Back: Wayne Bridge
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Though Bridge had a dismal debut for the Hammers, he has since proven his worth.
Since moving to West Ham on loan from Manchester City, Bridge has provided an essential link between the defense, midfield and strikers.
He displays excellent distribution from the back line to the midfield. Bridge also carries the ball down the left wing and provides important crosses to the forwards.
Bridge provided assists in two consecutive games not long after his arrival at Boleyn ground. His extensive experience is necessary if West Ham hopes to avoid relegation.
Right Winger: Gary O'Neil
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Here’s where things get tricky.
Grant plays O’Neil in a nontraditional role that melds the positions of right back and right winger. It’s no wonder the official WHUFC website describes him as “a versatile and all-action midfield player capable of filling a variety of positions.”
While O’Neil provides crucial crosses and midfield linking the way a traditional winger does and generally plays well into the midfield, he falls as far back as the defense when the opposition attacks, balancing Bridge out on the right.
O’Neil is exactly the kind of player West Ham needs between the duos of Upson and Tomkins and Scott Parker and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
Midfield Right: Scott Parker
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Scott Parker might not be the captain (he’s the vice captain, actually) of the Hammers, but he is certainly the team’s heart.
From his position in central midfield, Parker is the organ that ferries the blood of the team to all extremities of the pitch.
Like Tomkins, Parker plays every game like it might be his last. His distribution is vital for West Ham’s attacking trio, yet he is equally adept at linking up with them to score goals.
It’s impossible to underestimate Parker’s importance to West Ham and their avoidance of relegation. A number of top teams courted the midfielder at the end of last season, but he elected to stay with the Hammers.
That’s the dedication that will see the side through.
Central Midfield: Mark Noble
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Mark Noble plays his part perfectly.
He serves as the link between Parker and Hitzlsperger to either side of him and the back line and strikers behind and ahead of him. What makes Noble the perfect man for the job is his complete lack of ego and his willingness to put the team before himself.
A player with any arrogance would completely fail in Noble’s role, or at the very least upset the balance of the team.
Though he is only 23, Noble is the longest-serving player on the current squad.
Midfield Left: Thomas Hitzlsperger
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German midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger was touted as West Ham’s big signing last summer, the man who, alongside fan favorite Scottie Parker, would lead the side into a bright new era.
Then he injured himself before the first game of the season and re-injured himself just before he was set to return. Hitzlsperger finally made his triumphant return against Liverpool three weeks ago.
In the three league games he’s played this season, Hitzlsperger has a goal and two assists. The left-footed German plays on the left side of West Ham’s central midfield, balancing out Parker’s play on the right. Hitzlsperger works with Bridge on the left wing while Parker works with O’Neil on the right wing.
The duo of Hitzlsperger and Parker represents perfectly balanced weights on either side of a scale.
If the pair continues to play as it has in the last three games, the team stands a good chance of avoiding relegation.
Forward: Robbie Keane
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Irishman Robbie Keane has something to prove.
Before coming to West Ham on loan from Tottenham, Keane was very vocal about his disappointment with Harry Redknapp’s marked lack of interest in him.
“Here you have at your disposal the 11th highest-scoring forward in the history of the EPL and you’re benching me to play Peter Crouch?” he seemed to be thinking.
At West Ham, Keane hopes to prove Redknapp wrong, and Avram Grant and the West Ham management right. It’s in the loan deal that if he can help the Hammers avoid relegation, he’ll be offered a two-year contract.
Keane scored in his Hammers debut and returns from injury in next week's match against United. His contributions will be crucial, and they will come.
Despite being stamped “past due” by countless pundits and critics, Keane scored 12 goals in 16 appearances with Scottish club Celtic in 2010 and was voted Fans’ Player of the Year.
Forward: Demba Ba
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The great debate amongst Hammers fans over the past three weeks—other than “Will they avoid relegation?” of course—is what made the bigger impact on the squad: the return of Hitzlsperger or the arrival of Demba Ba?
The French-born Senegalese sensation has been indispensable since his arrival. In five EPL games, he’s scored four goals. Ba's unpredictability and explosive play have completely revitalized the Irons.
Standing 6'3" tall, Ba is an imposing physical presence with the speed and athletic ability required to consistently score goals and terrorize defensive lines.
The only downside to Ba’s phenomenal form since his debut is that he may prove too good for West Ham to hold onto next season if bigger clubs come knocking.
The Third Striker Dilema
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Other than the lamentably defensive setup at White Hart Lane last week, in which Grant fielded a 4-4-2, West Ham has played proudly aggressive football since the arrivals of Ba and Keane.
The squad has three options for the third striker: Victor Obinna, Carlton Cole and Freddy Piquionne. For the time being, Piquionne is doubtful due to injury.
If Obinna can maintain the form he showed in January, he would be the go-to man. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to display the necessary consistency. Though he scored five goals in two games earlier this year, he hasn’t found the back of the net since February 2nd.
Cole, for his part, has played extremely well in recent weeks. He’s broken beyond the defensive line time and again, creating countless chances. Despite this, it’s hard to say he’s doing his job, because his job is scoring goals, and he only has two since Christmas of last year.
However, taking Cole out might damage his confidence. But Obinna’s form is never going to improve if he’s left on the bench.
Ultimately, Piquionne is the ideal man for the job. He served the Hammers admirably during the first half of the season as they struggled and should be rewarded for that service with a permanent spot in the starting rotation.
Once Piquionne returns from injury, he is the clear choice. Before that time, it should be Cole.
photo: (left to right) Cole, Obinna and Piquionne
The Da Costa Factor
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Defender Manuel Da Costa does not have the athletic ability of Tomkins, the experience of Bridge or the passing ability of O’Neil, but he’ll be an important player for the Hammers in certain upcoming matches.
When West Ham face United and Chelsea, teams with strong, aggressive, physically challenging strikers like Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba, Da Costa’s physicality and aggression will prove vital.
As Matthew Upson said in a recent interview with West Ham TV, “When you want someone in a game to go and attack a ball and get physical with someone, there’s not many better. Physically, he’s one of the best players I’ve seen."
That asset will prove useful as the Irons come up against strong, aggressive sides.
On a practical note, Bridge is ineligible to play against City, the team from which he is on loan. Da Costa would match well against Toure or Balotelli, though Lars Jacobsen's experience might be better suited to meet the exemplary challenge set by Carlos Tevez.
