Blind Hammer speculates on what wee will learn after our clash with the Foxes.
The dust has barely settled after our jubilation over our historic win over Manchester City before our team has to rise to the challenge of Leicester in the Cup.
In recent seasons our squad depth has not allowed us to make serious progress in cup competitions. The notorious reverse against Nottingham Forest in particular cruelly exposed young players to a first team baptism of fire. It has been generally recognised now though that after a successful summer transfer window this squad is, on paper, one of the strongest assembled in the club’s history.
We would generally expect changes for a Cup game only 72 hours after a Premier League clash. It seems particularly inevitable that after the exertions at the Etihad that some players will need to be rested. Specifically our recent talisman Payet needs protection and game management indicates that he should not be over stretched and should be rested or at least put on the bench. My sighted brother told me that Payet was looking exhausted at the end of the game at the weekend. Am still haunted by the memory of the injury to Valencia in the Europa league. It is entirely possible that an over tired Payet could suffer a similar injury fate.
It has been the mark of Champions League teams like Arsenal in the past that in the League Cup they could successfully field an entirely different 11 from their Premier or Champions League team. The operative word here is successful. Arsenal can squad rotate and still reach Cup Finals. Howe far we are able to do this is an early litmus test of our squad depth.
So what are the realistic selection issues.
In goal we can expect Randolph to return, despite Adrian’s heroics at the weekend, as he has done nothing wrong with his deputising over recent weeks. However the shape of the rest of the defence could well indicate how seriously we are taking the Cups this season. Such is the squad depth this season we could, in addition to Randolph, field an entirely changed back four of Joey O’Brien, James Collins, Donal Henry and Stephen Hendrie.
In midfield we have fewer options, given the injuries to Alex Song, Cheikhou Kouyaté, and the continued internal disciplinary non availability of Morgan Amalfitano. In Nevertheless we could, in theory, field a midfield of Rees Oxford holding, with Josh Cullen providing box to box support with Micale Antonio and Martin Samuelson providing creativity on the winds. Such a midfield would be intriguing and inspirational for the future if it came off but would appear to be currently too inexperienced for the challenge of Leicester.
Up front it seems predictable that Andy Carroll will get a run out at some stage, either starting or from the bench. Nikica Jelavic also seems certain to share the match to some extent with Carroll. The rehabilitated Mauro Zárate could complete the forward strength.
So a theoretical change 11 could look like Randolph, O’Brien, Collins, Henry, Hendrie, Oxford, Cullen, Antonio, Samulson, Carroll/ Jelavic and Zárate.
Still I have no expectation that this will in any way resemble the team that Bilic sends out but how far he diverges from these options will give an indication of how committed he is to the Cups this season.
A similar indication will come from his selections on the bench. He could hedge his bets with sending out a comparatively inexperienced team with the insurance of players like Noble, Tomkins, Moses, Payet and Sacko on hand to assist in the event of crisis.
What seems certain is that the team will need to find a way of creating chances without the talismanic Payet. This will be no bad thing as few players nowadays, especially at West Ham, survive an entire season without injury. Unless Lanzini deputises in the Payet role a revised system of playing with a renewed emphasis on wing play targeting a marauding Carroll may be the best method for defeating the Foxes. Another option would be to play Noble in the number 10 role to see if Payet has inspired him to learn new tricks this season. It would be very good if Bilic could pull a rabbit like last season’s Downing out of the hat.
So in one way or another Leicester will be a measuring stick against our progress as a squad, not just in performance but in selection. In some ways it is a shame that this squad could not have had a gentler test with a Championship side in the drawer but that is life. Make no mistake this will be a tough challenge, no matter what squad Leicester put out. If we make it through by winning away for the fourth time in a row this will be a magnificent achievement and will provide even more evidence of progress. If we do not make it the manner of any defeat will be important for extending confidence beyond the first 11 to the entire squad.
COYI
David Griffith.