Word reaching us from Hammers 'goose green' training ground is that David Moyes will make wholesale changes from the team that vanquished London rivals Chelsea at the weekend, that 3-2 victory came at considerable cost as both Ben Johnson and Kurt Zouma picked up bad injuries.
As tonight's UEFA Europa League Cup game is essentially a dead rubber, given that Hammers have already topped their Group and have automatically moved to the last 16 stage, there has been a clamour for David Moyes to select a team almost entirely comprising of youth players.
While it is wonderful to be in such a position, it should be remembered that the opposition topped their domestic league and are serial cup winners, in other words they most definitely will NOT be coming to play a supporting role for the Hammers Academy!
Moyes will be mindful of the damaging effect a heavy defeat could have on impressionable young players and will also want to avoid seeing his team embarrassed in front of 50,000 fans as well as a global TV audience. So he will seek to create a balance between experience and youth.
With the insane schedule meaning West Ham have to play a game every THREE days, selecting first team regulars is a no no, so who will be in the starting line up? Areola, Noble, Kral and Vlasic are nailed on to start the game from the senior player pool, however Yarmolenko might not start due to interest in signing him from TWO European clubs ahead of the transfer window's opening in just three weeks time.
Selecting an entirely new back line might seem risky, but Harrison Ashby at right back, Jamal Baptiste and Aji Alese as centre backs and Manny Longelo at left-back are well acquainted with each other and have played very successfully together for the U-23's already, despite their tender years.
If Moyes goes for his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, the line up we have heard is going to be: Areola, Ashby, Baptiste, Alese, Longelo, Noble, Kral, Chesters, Yarmolenko*(or Okoflex), Vlasic, Perkins. David Moyes will probably name a relatively strong bench, including Saturday's unlikely goal hero Authur Masuaku.
Masuaku might well be joined on the bench by Ryan Fredericks as well as Said Benrahma, just in case the team looks as if it will be over run, others who could benefit from time on the pitch will no doubt be included. It is the beginning of Panto season, so it is to be hoped that Dinamo Zagreb don't play the wicked witch! -Ed
Comments
That team last night
Could have played all night, they were never going to score. It proved beyond a shadow of doubt that a goalscorer is a top priority. No need to spend millions on a defender, that back four played well and deserve to break into the first team, particularly Longelo, who I thought played a blinder and needs to start against Burnley. If you don't try these boys, and not just one game, then we'll never know if they can crack it. Vlasic certainly isn't, Kral, well, that's only one game but he didn't impress and I've fought Yarmas corner long enough but no more. Perkins just looks too lightweight for me.
Agree, Perkins was too
Agree, Perkins was too lightweight and Yarmo was so slow he managed to stop the universe!