Talking tactics: Chelsea faces the Frankenstein West Ham that still lives

West Ham started well and then completely collapsed. Manuel Pellegrini’s side still lives as it faces Chelsea, but makes no more sense than ever.

West Ham has long been a Frankenstein team made of several good players that simply do not make a lot of sense together. They have an excellent manager in Manuel Pellegrini who pulled himself back from the brink about this time last season only to find himself staring into the darkness once again.

The Hammers last win came at the end of September versus Manchester United. A crippling 4-0 cup loss to the mighty Oxford United in the next match sent them spiraling. In the eight matches since, they have drawn twice and lost six times. The only top six side they faced in that spell was Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham just a week ago.

Things are bad as they travel the short distance to Stamford Bridge. It is surprising Pellegrini survived the week but he is surely on his last legs. The derby against Chelsea has long been a cagey affair for both teams so there may be a small light in the tunnel for Pellegrini. Frank Lampard, hosting his boyhood club, needs to extinguish it.

West Ham has mostly broken away from their 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 of last season to go with a more traditional 4-3-3/4-1-4-1. Last season, they traditionally left the 4-2-3-1 for tougher opposition and Chelsea really will not be able to be totally sure before kickoff.

The Hammers are still very wing focused in their attacks, thanks in part to the ability and speed of Felipe Anderson and Michail Antonio. If those two are unable to find routes in, they generally look to cross into Sebastien Haller who has not had the best few weeks. He was dominant last season with Frankfurt but the service trickling off at West Ham has led to him being a ghost in many matches.

Defensively they look to stay tight and win the ball back through offside traps or opposition mistakes before moving it onto the wings. That is where the Frankenstein bit comes back in. The West Ham midfield and defense hardly screams “positionally aware”. They are an older fashioned bunch being asked to do something that simply does not suit them. Even moving the ball onto the wings is a poor fit for their old fashioned base.

Basically, West Ham wants to play expansive, attacking football with very few players capable of doing so. They are much more set up for a Jose Mourinho style grind out in defense followed by the attackers having total freedom method. Instead, they are so stuck in trying to do things “the right way” that they often end up outclassed my more comfortable opposition.

Pellegrini is a great manager and might have a point about sticking to his way at a club like West Ham. But with his job on the line and with few players well suited, he is long past the time to adapt. Lampard’s side needs to exploit that and avoid falling into the normal turgid affair that matches against the Hammers seem to become.

It will only add to the tension that Pellegrini was Lampard’s former manager. This may be a day where the student becomes the master, but the student must not get too comfortable just because the master is falling apart. This match is by no means a given, but it should be if Chelsea play to their level.