With seven points from an available nine in the last three games, no one can blame Sam Allardyce for being a little pleased with himself. Wins against mid-table sides Swansea and Aston Villa, and a draw against league leaders Chelsea, has really given West Ham the edge in this closest of relegation battles. It is perhaps no surprise that this upturn in form has coincided with the return of Andy Caroll, even if he was absent for the victory over Aston Villa.
The big Geordie has reinvigorated the Hammers, providing a presence up front that London had thus far lacked. Goals have been desperately lacking for West Ham this turn, with the survival battlers struggling to impose their crossing game without a consistent striker up front. Modibo Maiga attempts to fill the Carroll shaped hole in West Ham’s line up failed miserably, and whilst Carlton Cole fared a little better, some of the Hammers’ best performances have come with Ravel Morrison operating as a false nine.
Despite the moderate success achieved with a striker-less system, Allardyce was always going to turn back to his big man upfront. It is the way Big Sam plays, always has done, always will. However, West Ham’s one dimensional approach could cost them in the long term. Without Caroll or someone similar, the Hammers simply do not score, and players like Kevin Nolan go missing. Allardyce’s favourite has been woeful this term, with a poor goal return, and below par passing and tackling stats, Nolan has been a liability at times. That all changed with the return of Caroll against Swansea, the big Geordie setting up two goals for the resurgent Nolan. Although Nolan was able to carry his scoring form through to win against Villa, it was the first time he had shone all season without his partner in crime.
So fragile is Andy Caroll, West Ham’s reliance on the former Newcastle man is incredibly dangerous. The Hammers may be in brilliant form since his return, but the question is how long can Caroll remain fit? Constantly plagued by injury and always liable to pick up bookings, Caroll had barely returned to the first team before finding himself suspended. By placing all their eggs in a crossing game that needs Caroll to work, West Ham’s survival hopes may be being bet on Caroll not receiving another serious injury.
There has also been the general feeling amongst fans that the Allardyce style is simply not the West Ham way. For a club that has so long prided itself on beautiful football, the discontent is always going to fester anytime West Ham struggle through with Allardyce’s long ball game. It is a style labelled by Mourinho as “19th Century” following West Ham’s draw with the Portuguese’s Chelsea side. Given that Mourinho coined the phrase “parking the bus”, his comments were of course nothing more than a tantrum at having been thwarted and out thought. However, as well as being one-dimensional, West Ham’s style could also be costing them in the transfer window.
It was well published during the January window that Allardyce’s main transfer target was Monaco striker Lacina Traore. At six feet and eight inches tall, Traore is an imposing physical presence up front, with an excellent technical ability. Exactly the type of player Allardyce so loves, it’s no surprise Big Sam was desperate to sign the Ivorian as cover to Caroll. However, the deal never materialised. Traore joined Everton on loan, citing West Ham’s negative style of play as the reason for his snub. There are also twelve places separating Everton and West Ham, so one must be careful of reading too much into Traore’s comments, which are after all, only the opinions of one player. However, Traore was not the only striker to snub West Ham in January, with powerful, in demand Greek Konstantinos Mitroglou reportedly rejecting a bigger offer from West Ham to join bottom place Fulham on a permenant deal.
West Ham did get a striker in during the window though, and Marco Borriello is a player of fine pedigree. However, whilst Allardyce’s style of play may not matter when the Hammers are winning, it would appear not to be a style that players enjoy, nor one that the fans will accept if things go array.
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