West Bromwich Albion 0-0 West Ham Utd (16/09/17)

[Colours never run]

Exactly Frank. He f*** about with the team far too often at times and creates more problems that were initially there. He needs to calm himself down and srick to what nust worked with minimal interference. To change formations and personnel drastically after just a few days since beating Huddersfield would be mindless.

[bubbles1966]

Nowhere near "definitely a chance" of (Lanzini) making the bench. He's just started running and kicking a ball again. Bilic says he's still two weeks away.

Noble still out.

Fernandes missing as well - which leaves 19, doesn't it?

Hart; Adrian; Zabaleta; Byram; Masuaku; Cresswell; Collins; Fonte; Reid; Ogbonna; Kouyate; Obiang; Rice; Ayew; Antonio; Arnautovic; Carroll; Sakho; Hernandez.

Only one to miss the bench and whoever it is will be assured of a start against Bolton. Good that they are all being kept involved.

I can't imagine any changes in the defensive unit and expect us to go with a front three that can be completely swapped if the game demands it.

[hammer1975]

Someone else will be injured or get a knock in training this week....this is West Ham

[carnage]

Will we pick a midfielder that can pass the ball

Lanzini isn't fit yet.

Just a side note re possession and passing stats. Leicester won the league with the lowest passing completion and regularly had no more than 35% possession.

[TheHandOfDog]

Honestly, would you rather we went and played like we did on Monday and nicked a 0-0 (not that I'm saying that result should be the height of our ambitions) or we try to play like we did last time we won there?

Because doing the latter without peak Payet, Noble in the form of his life, Kouyate playing like a 2010 vintage Yaya Toure and the rest of the squad dragging up their levels to match is a recipe for disaster. See our first half capitulation there last season for proof.

Winning any football game for me at least is always a bonus but when I finish watching the game, I want to walk away/get up and think, that was exciting, I really was entertained. I watch football for enjoyment and I really do think that many people have become so focused on results and PL status that it becomes acceptable to play hoof ball as long as we get some points.

Just my opinion of course.

[Colours never run]

Lanzini isn't fit yet.

Just a side note re possession and passing stats. Leicester won the league with the lowest passing completion and regularly had no more than 35% possession.

Remember making a thread highlighting this during the Boleyn season about exactly that.

That's when we play at our best with much less of the possession, I lost count the amount of times we did well but with only about 35% possession. It's all about what you do with the ball when you do get it that's important and to be solid the rest of the time playing this way.

[MD_HM]

Considering injuries and fitness just one change

Arnautovic in for Carroll, Hernandez back upfront

Carroll off the bench as and when needed to ensure he is fit for Spurs

[Colours never run]

People have their reasons for dropping Carroll, but I see no good reason at all to drop him after his last performance and certainly not for a player who's only managed to show ill discipline so far this season. He needs to earn the right to play after that. If Arnautovic must be played, I'd find a different way to accommodate both but not instead of Carroll as good as he was on Monday. That's just asking for trouble in my opinion chopping and changing like that.

If I was Pulis, I'd be over the moon to see Carroll not on the team sheet as unsure his defenders would too after his performance on Monday both in a defensive and attacking capacity.

For me, Carroll has to start the next game and definitely alongside both Hernandez and Antonio haring around him.

[comebackjoecole]

In 45 years of support, winning 2 games in a row has never really been our thing,
I think it'll be an exciting 2-2.

[bubbles1966]

If Carroll was to miss out, I'd probably go for Sakho.

I don't see that we have the personnel to play through midfield but three pacy, pesky attackers might be the stuff West Brom's nightmares are made of.......providing we can draw them out and create some running space in behind.

No messing around with the backline or DMs.

[MD_HM]

The only reason I suggested dropping Carroll is due to the reports of his fitness and training issues along with the fact as we seen him injured every season, often after he has just come back from injury.

He hasn't had a preseason and just played an intense 80 mins just on Monday.

It's not performance based.

Therefore Hernandez HAS to go back upfront, he is so wasted on the wing.

Arnautovic is our only left winger so gets a chance to redeem himself.

Ayew and Carroll as the impact subs.

[Colours never run]

He was playing as a wide Forward, he's not religiously on the wing, like both Zabaleta and Cresswell were playing, being wasted. I get why people think that and they prefer the idea of him being at the too playing of the shoulder but it would be a formation change which would mean a likely return of 4 at the back (4231) and a less solid defensive shape to do that. Do we really want to upset thst balance at this stage after our long awaited points on the board and decent performance? Not for me.

I just love the idea of chucking different styles of tricky Forwards at teams now I've seen it in action Monday and Slav isn't adverse to trying it. Make them worry more about our attack, than us worry about theirs (which ain't much to shout about by comparison). Huddersfield looked overwhelmed from start to finish then on came the likes of Ayew and Sakho to tip them over the edge. If these csnt score the goals we need then nothing will. And as indsy, crucially the defensive balance looks right and I dont want to chsnge a thing in that respect.

Regarding Carroll's fitness, well I was surprised Bilic allowed him to play 80 odd minutes and he didn't seem unfit or knackered, so if he could manage Monday, I'm sure he's fit enough to start again on Saturday (to be taken off again late in the gsme).

[WestHamByTheSea]

It's generally hard to argue with keeping a winning 11 together, especially when it doesn't happen too often, and I suspect Slav may well do just that - especially since a good few potential selection questions have been rendered null and void through the likes of Nobes, Lanzini and Fernandes still being out. Can't blame him really then if he does keep it as it is. My only caveat (hence a compromised desire to tweak a bit yet essentially retain) is that WBA away is almost as different an oppo as imaginable to what turned out to be a rather naïve and drippy Huddersfield Town at home.

I'd like to see it stay more or less the same, but agree with the consensus that WBA will be anticipating Carroll, and would keep him on the bench myself. I don't necessarily think he'd get 'owned' by their vast collection of huge defenders (he can still overwhelm just about any big CB out there), but I'd fancy it might be a bit of a stalemate, and Andy could get crowded out even if he does win a decent share of aerial duels. Better perhaps to keep him as an option off the bench... if we can tire their big lumps out with some movement during the game, even the chunkiest of their big lads at the back would be at a disadvantage on 65 minutes with a fresh AC coming on after they'd been spun around by our nippier forwards.

So - keep the same line-up but with Ayew in for Carroll, with Hernandez going central and Ayew roaming off of him. Arnautovic for me needs to earn/play his way back into the team and certainly for me doesn't instantly deserve that roaming forward position ahead of Ayew after the latter's sub performance on Monday and after his own snafu at St Marys. Wouldn't be too surprised if Arnie did get in ahead of Ayew in lieu of Carroll though, just not my personal preference as things stand right now.

I'd like to think there's still enough guile in the 11 we played on Monday (especially with Ayew in for Andy) that we can play a bit of football especially on the break, whilst retaining enough physical power to head off Pulis's bruisers. Play on the counter, use space behind their 4 CB's utilising Antonio and Ayew and Hernandez... and if we do find ourselves needing to switch to a more direct option (say we're a goal behind with between 45-15 minutes left), we've got Andy, Arnie and the Lesser-Spotted-Sakho as options to go that way too.

2-1 West Ham, hopefully.

[Colours never run]

I also think it sends out a terrible message to players that if you play well, you'll still be dropped next game. Carroll would be rightly hacked off to find he's on the bench after helping to dig his manager out of a sticky hole.

[WestHamByTheSea]

I also think it sends out a terrible message to players that if you play well, you'll still be dropped next game. Carroll would be rightly hacked off to find he's on the bench after helping to dig his manager out of a sticky hole.

Up to a point, yeah. I'm simply looking at what West Ham team suits this specific match the best. Don't get me wrong - I know what you mean in regards of morale - but perhaps Andy needs to know one swallow don't make a summer...although that's not why I'm advocating his (very tactically specific) replacement as a starter for this game. As it is, one could argue that Ayew was the guy who dug him out of a hole on the day (no one player dug anyone out of any hole for me, but to look along those lines...).

I see your point, honestly I do, and will be happy to see the big man come off the bench tomorrow, nab a winner, then redefine the argument.

[carnage]

Hernandez wasn't playing in the wing, he was playing as1 of a front 3 with Carroll central.

[the pink palermo]

Hernandez wasn't playing in the wing, he was playing as1 of a front 3 with Carroll central.

Sam, is that you ?

The tactics for Saturday will be to knock it back to Ginge who will launch it in the general direction of Carroll who will knock it down to whichever "wide" player has drifted in off his wing .

Under no circumstances must any attempt be made to pass the ball on the deck forward through midfield .

There's nowt wrong with that by the way , but let's be honest about what we are watching .

[Puff Daddy]

Sam, is that you ?

The tactics for Saturday will be to knock it back to Ginge who will launch it in the general direction of Carroll who will knock it down to whichever "wide" player has drifted in off his wing .

Under no circumstances must any attempt be made to pass the ball on the deck forward through midfield .

There's nowt wrong with that by the way , but let's be honest about what we are watching .

I agree. You can't beat a good bit of good old fashioned British hoofing. I've been saying this. An aerial bombardment on their goal is definitely the way to go for 3 points tomorow

[fjthegrey]

Their industrial back line won't even by vaguely concerned by that tactic. Dawson, Evans, Hegazy. Long aerial balls are their bread and butter.

Brighton didn't take them apart playing like that, that's for sure.

[Puff Daddy]

Their industrial back line won't even by vaguely concerned by that tactic. Dawson, Evans, Hegazy. Long aerial balls are their bread and butter.

Brighton didn't take them apart playing like that, that's for sure.

They don't like it up 'em