da betsson： West Ham are currently showing the world how not to move in to a new stadium – poor performances, poor stewarding and trouble in the stands are just about all things you want to avoid when moving to an impressive new arena.
da betano casino： The beginning of 16/17 has been nothing short of a disaster for the Hammers, both on and off the pitch, and Slaven Bilic’s side look a far cry from the one that almost secured a shock top four finish last term.
Granted, they’ve had their injury problems; Aaron Cresswell, Aurthur Masuaku, Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew have all been sidelined long term, which has seriously affected Bilic’s plans thus far.
Having lost five of their opening six games of the new Premier League season, West Ham are in desperate need of a victory and especially in front of their own fans at the London Stadium.
And given recent performances, Slaven Bilic will need to make a few changes to have a better chance of victory against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
So, with three key changes in mind, here’s the XI Bilic should pick to face Aitor Karanka’s men…
Goalkeeper
Adrian was an impressive figure between the sticks for the Hammers last term but such form has not been on display so far this season.
Some would say he kept the score down to just 3-0 when Southampton came to London and ran riot last week, but you can’t hide the fact Adrian has still conceded 11 in the last three games – 16 in total already this term.
Darren Randolph is West Ham’s cup goalkeeper but has been impressive when called upon since signing on a free transfer last summer. Given Adrian’s recent form, it’s fair to say Randolph deserves the gloves moving forward.
Defenders
It was a surprise to see Sam Byram on the bench against Southampton, with defensive midfielder Havard Nordtveit preferred at right-back.
That decision suggests Bilic doesn’t have full faith in Byram but he will have to rethink that against Middlesbrough, following his side’s poor defensive showing in recent weeks.
Alvaro Arbeloa didn’t play badly against Southampton and should continue at left-back this week, while Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna form West Ham’s strongest central defensive partnership.
Midfielders
There have been calls to drop captain Mark Noble this season, which is no surprise given the Hammers’ poor performances.
Some fans have questioned Noble’s ability to lead the team through difficult times, but his relationship with Bilic is strong and there’s just no way he’ll be demoted to the bench. Dropping the captain will do nothing to help improve squad morale and it could make things worse.
Question marks have also been raised over Cheikhou Kouyate. He hasn’t been as dominating in midfield this season but he should be given more licence to go forward against Middlesbrough, allowing Noble to sit and hold.
The three players behind the striker pick themselves. Michail Antonio is currently the Premier League’s highest scorer with five goals, while Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini’s partnership was a crucial part of the Hammers’ success last term.
Striker
Apart from the defence, West Ham’s biggest problem is up front.
Simone Zaza, on loan from Juventus, has done nothing to convince anyone that he is the 20-goal-a-season front man the club were publicly searching for during the summer. Jonathan Calleri is another on loan striker who has disappointed so far.
So while Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll remain sidelined through injury, youngster Ashley Fletcher should be given a chance up front.
The former Manchester United academy product started in the Hammers’ 3-1 defeat to Manchester City earlier this season and impressed, and he has also looked dangerous in his five other first team appearances.
It’s fair to say Fletcher has done enough to warrant a start against Middlesbrough and that decision might just be the one that turns the club’s season around.
The formation…
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Slaven Bilic prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation and he’ll no doubt opt to stick with it, even during hard times.
The key is in the personnel changes here. Two changes in what has been a leaky defence – including the ‘keeper – might help prevent the overflow of goals being conceded, while a new striker who is eager to impress could start to get them going in at the other end.
Slaven Bilic said in his pre-match press conference that one win could turn West Ham’s season around – this should be the XI to ensure that happens.