West Ham have one win in their last ten games, a run of results that has seen the London side slip to 16th in the Premier League. With the threat of relegation looming Manuel Pellegrini must get his selection right against Southampton on Saturday to avoid their opponents leapfrogging the Hammers, possibly sending them into the relegation zone. The former Premier League winning manager’s job could be at risk if his side is not victorious in the crunch trip to St Mary’s Stadium.
The Hammers have lost their past two games by a two-goal margin and kept just four clean sheets all season, so keeping the in-form Danny Ings quiet should be a high priority. With that in mind, the Chilean might fancy changing his backline after selecting the same quartet for the past three fixtures. Angelo Ogbonna has been a stand out performer this season and is one of the highest-rated players in the side, so he should keep his place.
But alongside the Italian Fabian Balbuena has struggled to reproduce his heroics from last season, the former Corinthians player has made fewer tackles, and under half the number of interceptions per game. Issa Diop is a player who could step in to replace Balbuena, though their stats for tackles and clearances are remarkably similar, the Frenchman has recorded more interceptions this term and might be the man to stop Ings.
Meanwhile further up the field, Pellegrini may choose to start Michail Antonio on the right-hand side and move Robert Snodgrass into a central midfield role, in front of Declan Rice and Mark Nobel. During the dismal run, Antonio has put in some bright performances, such as when he was introduced from the bench against Spurs, and he has earned a chance on his favoured right-hand side.
Record signing Sebastien Haller and Felipe Anderson would be left to take up the central striker role and left-winger respectively, neither have been outstanding since the win over Manchester United. Still, the pair are the Hammer’s top scorer and creator this season, so their inclusion is essential.
Regardless of who Pellegrini opts for on Saturday, it is absolutely essential he gets his selection right. The tone of his press conference along with admitting he was not sure if he will be in charge come Monday tells you everything you need to know.
