West Ham United must make big change for 2nd half v Silkeborg
West Ham United may have been the dominant side in the first half of their Europa Conference League game against Silkeborg but things have to change.
David Moyes sent his side out with a back three, comprising of Ben Johnson, Angelo Ogbonna and the first sighting in claret and blue for summer recruit Nayef Aguerd.
This system could well work, albeit with different personnel, against a side that is willing to come out high and press the defenders but the Danish side were hardly interested in doing that.
They were very happy to just sit in and watch the Irons frustrate themselves in front of goal by being unable to properly break down the well-drilled backline.
Moyes surely must have seen that coming from the offset so why he has opted to play three central defenders and two wing-backs in what appears to be a defensive setup is truly bewildering.
The Irons did eventually make the breakthrough from the penalty spot but had the game remained in open play, it looked unlikely that a goal was coming at all.
When West Ham re-emerge for the second half, there has to be either a substitute to change the system or he has to shuffle around what he already has on the field to try and get more bodies into the final third and prize open the door.
Looking at the bench, there are the obvious game-changers of Gianluca Scamacca and Declan Rice but the Hammers have already qualified for the knockout rounds so would like to keep them rested for the weekend trip to Old Trafford.
Freddie Potts is somebody who could use a debut on the European stage just to get accustomed to the first-team environment before potentially being used later in the season or sent out on loan in January.
This is the perfect game to consider bringing him in with pressure off and qualification secured.