West Ham tipped to change to a two-striker system

With Sebastien Haller not even looking like the shadow of the £40million striker West Ham United signed in the summer, you’d be right in suggesting Manuel Pellegrini isn’t exactly playing to his strengths at the moment.

The Frenchman has scored just four Premier League goals since his arrival and has visibly struggled as a sole striker in recent weeks.

Pellegrini has stuck with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation though, which has seen Haller drop to the bench on more than one occasion to accommodate Michail Antonio.

Haller looked immense last season alongside Luka Jovic up front for Eintracht Frankfurt and Football London journalist Sam Inkersole thinks West Ham should give the same system a go in a preferred XI for the festive period:

Upfront we have gone for two strikers, though one of them is a winger in Michail Antonio. Sebastien Haller should perform better with someone up alongside him (you would hope so, anyway).

Inkersole’s XI: Fabianski; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Fornals, Rice, Noble, Anderson; Antonio, Haller. (4-4-2)

READ WEST HAM VERDICT

I couldn’t agree with Inkersole when he says that he’d opt for a two-striker system over the festive period.

Realistically, West Ham are in dire need of performances and points and should try something new to see if it’ll spark an improvement.

Pellegrini may be gone if he can’t guide the Hammers to a good result against Southampton, so the club will have 12 days to get someone new in and let them start working with the players.