West Ham United should take Stuart Pearce talkSPORT claim seriously when balancing European commitments
As West Ham United near a pivotal few weeks in their fight against Premier League relegation, the club’s European distractions could actually be a detriment to their cause.
With 12 games of their campaign remaining, the Hammers sit 18th in the Premier League, as well as remaining in the last eight of the European Conference League.
David Moyes’ side are set to face Belgian side Gent over two-legs in Thursday night matches that spilt league encounters against Bournemouth, Arsenal and Fulham.
Speaking live on talkSPORT show White and Jordan on Thursday (30 March), former Hammers first-team coach Stuart Pearce highlighted the struggles of fighting on two fronts and the complications that they can cause.
When asked by Jim White if dealing with the demands of a Thursday followed by Sunday fixtures was all it was made out to be, Pearce replied: “Yes, it is. When we qualified for Europe, the first thing I did was ring Sean Dyche and ask about his European campaign, and he said, ‘it’s tough, it’s very, very tough’.
“Not just the travel implications, but the preparations for each game and the nth degree that goes in at West Ham for the opposition. So you’re landing, you’re keeping the squad together, you’re training the players that haven’t played, you’re doing recovery.
“Then in the afternoon, you’re in the analysis room till the evening, then the same the day before the game and the following day.”
This is certainly something that Moyes and his coaching staff must carefully consider when selecting his squads for either competition, with injuries far more likely in this rammed schedule.
Although he is yet to use his younger players much so far this season, the likes of Flynn Downes, Ben Johnson and Levi Laing could be crucial to navigating this minefield of a schedule.
If the Hammers do progress past their quarter-final clash against Gent, they will face the possibility of three more mid-week matches before the close of the Premier League season.
In a relegation battle that could be defined by fine margins, having to fight on two fronts could be a major problem for Moyes and his team.
Dyche and Pearce have highlighted the demands of playing in Europe at this late date, and West Ham United have got a tough balancing act to strike as they pursue some historic silverware but avoid the all-to-obvious elephant in the room that is Premier League relegation.