Scandinavian Hammers Chairman Tore Søyland names his team and tactics for Sunday's Barclays Premier League opener at Arsenal...
OK. Thursday night didn’t go exactly as we had expected. Or hoped. Or dreamed of.
We have to restart our engines now and concentrate 100 per cent on the Premier League and the match at the Emirates on Sunday.
What kind of team and formation suits us in a match versus one of the big title contenders? I suggest a typical Bilic formation; 4-2-3-1. He has used very different formations this summer but the 4-2-3-1 is the way he played with success with both Croatia and Besiktas.
It may sometimes look a bit defensive on the paper but against such a strong Arsenal offensive midfield we need to play with two holding midfielders. If Pedro Obiang is unavailable we have to go with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate.
Therefore this is what I suggest for Mr. Bilic this Sunday: (4-2-3-1) Adrian – Tomkins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell – Noble, Kouyate – Lanzini, Payet, Zarate – Sakho.
Too offensive? I think not. With Noble and Kouyate playing very deep in front of the back four I think we will be OK. The front four men are more creative than the ones playing in the offensive third last spring. Creativity and pace. I think this is the team who can get us at least a point on Sunday.
And a draw at the Emirates is more than good enough for me!
Back here in Norway the newspapers have tipped West Ham finishing between seventh and 15th this coming Premier League season.
My tip is tenth. Even if the pre-season has had both up and downs, I still think we have a squad good enough for the upper half.
We will once again compete with the likes of Swansea, Stoke and Everton for the places from eighth to 14th, but I have big hopes for us this season and I believe in Slaven.
A player many supporters have forgotten is Andy Carroll. I am not one of them. Big Andy will come into the side and score ten-plus goals for us this term. Mark my words.
Regardless of having Sakho, Valencia and Carroll in our squad, I still believe we need a new striker before the transfer window closes. In my opinion that striker is Javier Hernandez. I think he would be perfect for West Ham and I think West Ham would be perfect for him.
A goal-getter who can play both alone at the front or together with a big man. Just think about it; Caroll and Hernandez. The new McAvennie and Cottee?
The future is bright! Up the Hammers!
*You can follow Tore Søyland on Twitter @toredicanio.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United.
OK. Thursday night didn’t go exactly as we had expected. Or hoped. Or dreamed of.
We have to restart our engines now and concentrate 100 per cent on the Premier League and the match at the Emirates on Sunday.
What kind of team and formation suits us in a match versus one of the big title contenders? I suggest a typical Bilic formation; 4-2-3-1. He has used very different formations this summer but the 4-2-3-1 is the way he played with success with both Croatia and Besiktas.
It may sometimes look a bit defensive on the paper but against such a strong Arsenal offensive midfield we need to play with two holding midfielders. If Pedro Obiang is unavailable we have to go with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate.
Therefore this is what I suggest for Mr. Bilic this Sunday: (4-2-3-1) Adrian – Tomkins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell – Noble, Kouyate – Lanzini, Payet, Zarate – Sakho.
Too offensive? I think not. With Noble and Kouyate playing very deep in front of the back four I think we will be OK. The front four men are more creative than the ones playing in the offensive third last spring. Creativity and pace. I think this is the team who can get us at least a point on Sunday.
And a draw at the Emirates is more than good enough for me!
Back here in Norway the newspapers have tipped West Ham finishing between seventh and 15th this coming Premier League season.
My tip is tenth. Even if the pre-season has had both up and downs, I still think we have a squad good enough for the upper half.
We will once again compete with the likes of Swansea, Stoke and Everton for the places from eighth to 14th, but I have big hopes for us this season and I believe in Slaven.
A player many supporters have forgotten is Andy Carroll. I am not one of them. Big Andy will come into the side and score ten-plus goals for us this term. Mark my words.
Regardless of having Sakho, Valencia and Carroll in our squad, I still believe we need a new striker before the transfer window closes. In my opinion that striker is Javier Hernandez. I think he would be perfect for West Ham and I think West Ham would be perfect for him.
A goal-getter who can play both alone at the front or together with a big man. Just think about it; Caroll and Hernandez. The new McAvennie and Cottee?
The future is bright! Up the Hammers!
*You can follow Tore Søyland on Twitter @toredicanio.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United.
Scandinavian Hammers Chairman Tore Søyland names his team and tactics for Sunday's Barclays Premier League opener at Arsenal...
OK. Thursday night didn’t go exactly as we had expected. Or hoped. Or dreamed of.
We have to restart our engines now and concentrate 100 per cent on the Premier League and the match at the Emirates on Sunday.
What kind of team and formation suits us in a match versus one of the big title contenders? I suggest a typical Bilic formation; 4-2-3-1. He has used very different formations this summer but the 4-2-3-1 is the way he played with success with both Croatia and Besiktas.
It may sometimes look a bit defensive on the paper but against such a strong Arsenal offensive midfield we need to play with two holding midfielders. If Pedro Obiang is unavailable we have to go with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate.
Therefore this is what I suggest for Mr. Bilic this Sunday: (4-2-3-1) Adrian – Jenkinson, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell – Noble, Kouyate – Lanzini, Payet, Zarate – Sakho.
Too offensive? I think not. With Noble and Kouyate playing very deep in front of the back four I think we will be OK. The front four men are more creative than the ones playing in the offensive third last spring. Creativity and pace. I think this is the team who can get us at least a point on Sunday.
And a draw at the Emirates is more than good enough for me!
Back here in Norway the newspapers have tipped West Ham finishing between seventh and 15th this coming Premier League season.
My tip is tenth. Even if the pre-season has had both up and downs, I still think we have a squad good enough for the upper half.
We will once again compete with the likes of Swansea, Stoke and Everton for the places from eighth to 14th, but I have big hopes for us this season and I believe in Slaven.
A player many supporters have forgotten is Andy Carroll. I am not one of them. Big Andy will come into the side and score ten-plus goals for us this term. Mark my words.
Regardless of having Sakho, Valencia and Carroll in our squad, I still believe we need a new striker before the transfer window closes. In my opinion that striker is Javier Hernandez. I think he would be perfect for West Ham and I think West Ham would be perfect for him.
A goal-getter who can play both alone at the front or together with a big man. Just think about it; Caroll and Hernandez. The new McAvennie and Cottee?
The future is bright! Up the Hammers!
*You can follow Tore Søyland on Twitter @toredicanio.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United.
OK. Thursday night didn’t go exactly as we had expected. Or hoped. Or dreamed of.
We have to restart our engines now and concentrate 100 per cent on the Premier League and the match at the Emirates on Sunday.
What kind of team and formation suits us in a match versus one of the big title contenders? I suggest a typical Bilic formation; 4-2-3-1. He has used very different formations this summer but the 4-2-3-1 is the way he played with success with both Croatia and Besiktas.
It may sometimes look a bit defensive on the paper but against such a strong Arsenal offensive midfield we need to play with two holding midfielders. If Pedro Obiang is unavailable we have to go with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate.
Therefore this is what I suggest for Mr. Bilic this Sunday: (4-2-3-1) Adrian – Jenkinson, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell – Noble, Kouyate – Lanzini, Payet, Zarate – Sakho.
Too offensive? I think not. With Noble and Kouyate playing very deep in front of the back four I think we will be OK. The front four men are more creative than the ones playing in the offensive third last spring. Creativity and pace. I think this is the team who can get us at least a point on Sunday.
And a draw at the Emirates is more than good enough for me!
Back here in Norway the newspapers have tipped West Ham finishing between seventh and 15th this coming Premier League season.
My tip is tenth. Even if the pre-season has had both up and downs, I still think we have a squad good enough for the upper half.
We will once again compete with the likes of Swansea, Stoke and Everton for the places from eighth to 14th, but I have big hopes for us this season and I believe in Slaven.
A player many supporters have forgotten is Andy Carroll. I am not one of them. Big Andy will come into the side and score ten-plus goals for us this term. Mark my words.
Regardless of having Sakho, Valencia and Carroll in our squad, I still believe we need a new striker before the transfer window closes. In my opinion that striker is Javier Hernandez. I think he would be perfect for West Ham and I think West Ham would be perfect for him.
A goal-getter who can play both alone at the front or together with a big man. Just think about it; Caroll and Hernandez. The new McAvennie and Cottee?
The future is bright! Up the Hammers!
*You can follow Tore Søyland on Twitter @toredicanio.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United.