OPINION
West Ham United’s summer will be full of transfer activity with new boss Manuel Pellegrini looking for players who can improve his currently average squad.
As we witnessed at his time with Manchester City, Pellegrini does prefer to play a possession based game with loads of short passing and beautiful football on the eye.
When he looks at his squad, the Chilean will not find many players who are capable of playing in that kind of tactical system, so he should focus on maximising the tools that he’s got at his disposal.
What they do have, is power, physical strength and a massive aerial threat. With players like Marko Arnautovic, Andy Carroll, Michail Antonio, Cheikhou Kouyate, Angelo Ogbonna and Winston Reid, there’s not going to be many teams who can defend against them at set-pieces.
With the injury to star player Manuel Lanzini, this has only highlighted the issue further, the team need to go more direct now they haven’t got a playmaker in the side.
West Bromwich Albion winger Matt Phillips has all the tools to get the best out of the current Hammers squad. He’s quick, strong and most importantly, has a great delivery from wide positions and at set-pieces.
Due to the Midlands club’s relegation from the Premier League last season, the jet-heeled Scotland international should be available for a bargain price and should be high on the new manager’s transfer shortlist ahead of next season.
Just imagine a ferocious whipped corner coming into the opposition box when the London club has all their big players in the penalty area, it’s almost undefendable and that’s what Phillips can provide. It may not be pretty, but it will be mighty effective.