You need to help me out here folks: Does anyone remember the last time we actually had a fully fit squad available ? I actually can’t remember a game in our recent history where the physio room did not have any West Ham players as regular visitors. If we care to believe recent tweets from the usual suspects including David Gold we will soon find ourselves in the uncustomary situation of having not only the best squad at West Ham for years but also ALL of those players being actually available for selection including Winston ‘Dead Leg’ Reid and Andy ‘ooh my ankle gives me terrible jip’ Carroll.
Potentially our upcoming game against Villa could be the first game where we can choose from a full squad with Sakho very likely to return, Reid tipped to get over his dead leg in time and even Carroll having an outside chance to make the squad as a bench option.
I don’t know about you, but more often than I’d be prepared to admit I catch myself daydreaming or turning in bed thinking about what to do should it really come to a situation where we can freely choose any starting eleven, any bench, any formation with our current squad. It’s been mentioned on various threads already what great options we now have available and how these options can be combined for a plan A, B, C or D: Maybe there could also be plan E-H, who knows ?
#
We all have our favourite formations and with strength, pace, creativity and passion in this side for the first time it is actually worth it pondering different formations as with our current players suddenly certain things become possible and workable that were totally out of the question only as recent as last season.
So let’s do some serious thinking and let’s pretend to be Allardyce, just for a few moments, we don’t want to risk the mental health of certain posters, myself included.
What is the team/bench/formation that gives us the best chance of winning and/or playing the most attractive brand of football ?
Two strikers upfront with the diamond ?
The tried and tested Nolan/Carroll combo ?
Is there a way to play Sakho, Valencia AND Carroll on the same pitch at the same time ?
Does the forgotten man Jarvis with his pace and crossing ablity still get a look in or will he be gone in January ?
Could it work to switch from a back four to three defenders, allowing us to play with one more midfielder or striker ?
Do we mainly stick with Sakho/Valencia or do we implement a striker rotation mixing and matching Sakho, Valencia, Carroll, Cole and Zarate ?
Will any youngster this season (Lee, Burke, Potts, Fanimo) deserve to get gametime in the starting eleven ?
I’ll get the ball rolling with an adventurous switch to a back three of Cresswell, Reid and Jenkinson with a midfield of Song, Kouyate, Noble, Downing and Amalfitano with Sakho and Valencia upfront. Bench is Jussi, Tomkins, Collins, Zarate, Nolan, Carroll, Cole.
Over to you!