The 'Gegenpressing' Future for Sam Allardyce's West Ham

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Still trapped in the image of his Bolton past, Sam Allardyce is often derided as a dinosaur of the modern game - an anti-football, 'lump it long' monster. The criticisms of Allardyce aren't entirely unfounded; undoubtedly he does focus on defensive organisation, physicality and direct play. 

However, 'big Sam' has always had a limited set of tools to play with and has seen any opportunities at a higher job snatched by less experienced, yet more glamorous, foreign coaches. At West Ham he has used his practicality to achieve promotion, solidify survival comfortably in the first season back, and, now, seemingly to have overcome the dreaded 'second-season-syndrome' despite an extremely rocky period. 

With owners David Sullivan and David Gold adamant that they will stick by their man, whilst also providing a decent transfer kitty, Allardyce now has the opportunity to build a project - and with the move to an iconic 60,000 seater stadium just a few years away, the finished article could be huge. 

Whilst it is easy to label Allardyce 'old-school', it is well known that he is actually at the forefront of using new technology and statistical information in English football. There is no doubt that with his curiosity of the evolvement of the game, Allardyce hasn't studied the work of coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Diego Simeone who have taken their clubs from relative underdogs to European success stories. 

With impressive scouting and a brand of football, now nicknamed 'gegenpressing', an answer to Barcelona's 'tiki-taka', Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have pioneered a style which is exciting, defensively astute and, most importantly, winning. Having acquired an impressive starting 11 over the last few years, Allardyce may only have to tweak a few things to rebrand himself as the English 'Gegenpresser', although it will certainly be an altered version.

Goalkeeper - Adrian

Adrian has quickly risen in popularity at Upton Park - at least 5% of supporters will belt out a Rocky-inspired 'ADRIAN' in response to the simplest of saves from the Spaniard. Obviously there is little that can be said for a goalkeeper in terms of a change of football-style, however, with an asset like Andy Carroll up top, it would make sense for the former-Real Betis shot-stopper to continue a kind of long, direct distribution from goal-kicks. The system is all about quick transitions so Adrian should still expect to play long in order to switch the opposition onto the back foot quickly. Not much change there.

Defence - Guy Demel, Winston Reid, James Tomkins, George McCartney

Guy Demel's form has gone somewhat unnoticed at West Ham, with some supporters actually calling for a replacement, but Demel has proved that he is useful going forward and can be a surprisingly powerful dribbler going down the right-hand side - thus he is likely relish the opportunity to be given more license to bomb forward. Demel also spent 10 years playing in Germany, 4 of which were with Dortmund, so he will be no stranger to 'Kloppism'. 

Winston Reid is an outstanding central defender who is good at both defending and with the ball, if the Irons are to move forward they need to hang on to the New Zealand international. There is no reason Reid can't operate a similar role to how Mats Hummels plays at Dortmund; that is marking tightly, being clean in the tackle but also bringing the ball forward and looking to give possession to an attacking player. 

Academy graduate James Tomkins is also a very good defender and is more than capable of supporting Reid, often stepping back to clear up anything Reid can not deal with - in an age where there is often just one centre-forward to mark, one half of the central defensive partnership can step up to take the dominant role. 

George McCartney, whilst good defensively, having served West Ham well, perhaps lacks the speed and stamina to get up and down the park if the Hammers are to become a more attacking unit. Allardyce recruited Napoli's Pablo Armero on loan in January, and whilst he is yet to feature he is said to have impressed in training with his speed and ability and a potential permanent deal is already being mooted. Perhaps Armero could be the answer to West Ham's Marcel Schmelzer.

Midfield - Mark Noble, Mo Diame, Stewart Downing, Matt Jarvis, Kevin Nolan

Mark Noble has had his best season to date for West Ham and has been immense in defending doggedly in the midfield but also passing the ball forward. It is clear he has learnt much in terms of retaining possession from Scott Parker's time at the club and he seems to have improved in fitness, stamina and speed over the Summer - he will be the root of the midfield intensity in the 'gegenpressing' system. 

Momo Diame is perhaps not the perfect partner in this position but his ability to pick the ball up and dribble it forward with power will certainly be useful. After an outstanding debut season in East London, Diame has been accused of lacking interest this term - to fit into the new system he will need to improve defensive intensity and also his vision. Diame has often been guilty of keeping his head down and running with the ball into trouble, this has led Allardyce to put him on the wing more often this season as it presents less risks in central areas. Perhaps, if he returns with a better attitude, Ravel Morrison would be a more suitable candidate for the role given his superior passing ability. However, Diame is a good player and shone on many occasions last season - he shouldn't be written off. 

Stewart Downing is clearly a favourite of Allardyce due to his excellent crossing ability but also his responsibility when it comes to defending; this attitude is vital to 'gegenpressing' as the wingers need to retain an element of cautiousness when the full-backs attack. 

Matt Jarvis has had a very disappointing season but his price-tag and an England call-up show how highly he was rated when West Ham signed him. Jarvis has the pace and the ability to enjoy the new system, he just needs to boost confidence over the Summer and, crucially, to add more goals to his game. 

Finally, Kevin Nolan is a problematic figure. He has been a figure of fan-frustration at times, however, he is likely to chip in with a goal, and finishing is something the Hammers' probably lack. If Allardyce was to push forward with 'gegenpressing', he would probably have to sacrifice Nolan, his captain and a player he has had a long association with. Nolan lacks the intense energy and play-making skills and could probably be relegated to a 'plan B' for West Ham. This is another role that, if disciplined enough, Morrison could fulfil. It seems a little harsh on Nolan, who is good at what he does, but he simply doesn't suit the system.

Attack - Andy Carroll

Who said the centre-forward is dead? Because of Barcelona's interchangeable 5 foot-somethings amongst the front three, there was a great hysteria that the number 9 was dead, a fossil of the shameful past of muddy pitches and two-footed slide tackles. Carroll himself became somewhat of an unjust symbol for this. But both Dortmund and Atletico have strikers over six-foot in the form of Robert Lewandowski and Diego Costa. Incredibly Lewandowski is set to move to Bayern Munich to play under 'tiki-taka' pioneer Pep Guardiola whilst Costa has forced away into the Spain side! The rebirth is here. 

There are few better than Andy Carroll in the air and he is a fantastic asset for West Ham from crosses and winning the long-ball. Carroll is also a hard-worker and quicker than many think, meaning that he will help to maintain intensity high up the field by chasing down defenders and forcing errors. Perhaps dribbling could be worked on to give Carroll another element of penetration, but if the big-man stays fit he should fit into the system well.

It's clear that West Ham have the squad available to reinvent themselves somewhat to a more intense, energetic unit. Some Summer shopping will be needed to upgrade certain areas and strengthen the depth of the squad but the foundations are there. Despite some protestations, Allardyce should be greatly praised for the stability he has brought to the turbulent club so far - but now is a time in his career and the evolution of West Ham United to kick on and prove the critics wrong. 

For the sake of English football we must hope Allardyce gets the chance and isn't replaced by yet another young, foreign 'director of football' in a fancy suit, as that is the way many owners seem to be going. Give him a chance and who knows? In just a few years West Ham could be playing exciting football, in Europe, in a 60,000 stadium. 

Capello; he doesn't have a clue

With a lengthy spell away from blogging enforced by national football disappointment, you would’ve thought it was rejuvenated optimism which carried me back to this past-time activity. But in fact, it’s an increasing frustration that has led me to disagree with the ex-professional, optimistic, do-gooders in the media who claim Fabio Capello is a top coach who should be given time and who have pushed me to the edge of needing to release my own dissatisfaction in the same medium which once held all my optimistic world cup hopes and dreams.
Is it not clear to everyone that England need to start a fresh? Surely it is that blatantly simple for the most casual of followers. Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Frank Lampard should be ghosts of England’s past, ruing their missed opportunities from their elaborate Wembley box, not still haunting the fortunes of the national team on the pitch. By the time the next world cup is upon us these players will be 35, 33 and 36 respectively, they should be closer to a retirement home, or Serie A, than the field of play, battling to win sport’s finest tournament against a group of fresh Brazilians on their own turf.
I appreciate the next major tournament is Euro 2012 but the World Cup is English football’s main aim, and we must learn from previous winners and our past mistakes before we even think of bringing it home. Spain won Euro 2008, yes, they were blessed with an array of talent, but the squad was packed with a majority of young, vibrant players who were carefully blended together, don’t be fooled into thinking the individual brilliance of the likes of David Villa, Andreas Iniesta and Fernando Torres won that trophy. Of course it had an impact but we must go back to the cliché that football is very much a team game. And look; Spain went onto win the World Cup we had all dreamed of, with a very similar team, this is no coincidence, stability is key, a team must be built and not thrown together. This will be proved by Manchester City this season and we’ll unanimously agree it was inevitable without the appropriate team blend, but still people will make the same mistakes.
We constantly use the excuse that the England team doesn’t know how to play with each other because they don’t play together enough. Of course Spain were, again, blessed with the fact the majority of their players plied their trade for the brilliant Barcelona and therefore had a footballing connection before they even pulled on the national shirt, but if we attempt to pick our World Cup 2014 23-man-squad now, they will have 4 years to play with each other, they will have big tournament experience together due to the Euros, and they will have little excuse.
If we’re looking to emulate Spain’s success, then Mikel Arteta is certainly not the answer either. If he has never made it into a full Spanish national squad then he is not good enough for what we want to achieve. He is also 28, making him 32 for the next world cup, hardly a prime age, and categorically, he is not English! Capello’s lack of understanding of how the English public long to relate to their national team is again thrown into question and yet again it seems like an English manager is the most logical option.
I should be excited for a game of competitive international football heralding a new era for English football, but instead, I am frankly sickened by aspects of the squad and rumours of Capello dragging the likes of Paul Scholes out of retirement. Mr. Capello has proved to be as, dare I say it, naïve as I thought in my original anger following our South African adventure. First he disrespectfully dismisses the national hero who is David Beckham’s chances of regaining an England place. Of course, there is no way Beckham should play for England again in his aging state, but to broadcast it in such a manner so as not to consult Beckham first was a disgraceful and undeserved manner in which to retire one of our most loyal servants. But now, in the wake of his stupidity, Capello has backtracked on his claim in order to save his own reputation and hypocritically ended the fresh feeling of a much-needed new start. He’s even attempting to rip Scholes from his tranquil retirement. Of course there’s no doubt Scholes is an excellent player but a 35 year-old man should be nowhere near this England team, especially if he even refused to play at the previous world cup. All this does is put a model professional’s name at risk of being unpatriotic and shows Capello has no idea what he should do next or how to deal with players.
I certainly felt it was appropriate for us to see the back of the likes of Matthew Upson, Michael Carrick and, reluctantly, Peter Crouch in an England shirt with the hope of looking to the future but we’ve tracked back with these distinctly average squad players and all have been recalled. Why is Chris Smalling not in place of Upson? Sir Alex Ferguson obviously rates him and we can mould him into international football before he’s corrupted by the ‘different style’ of the premier league, as if these professionals are unable to adapt. Why is Jack Rodwell not replacing Carrick? Apparently the Everton youngster was the subject of a £10m plus Carrick bid from Manchester United, surely this shows he’s a better player than Carrick and he defiantly offers more going forward than the immobile former West Ham and Spurs man. A sure star of world football’s future and maybe even a potential captain. And why is Andy Carroll not replacing Crouch? With 4 premiership goals already to his name and the welcome return of an old-fashioned English centre-forward, why has he not been handed his chance ahead of our infamous plan B. Not to mention he should’ve got in ahead of Carlton Cole whose start to the season has been nothing short of awful as he has made a worrying return to his fragile lack of confidence. And that’s coming from a West Ham fan.
Other ridiculous decisions such as no Aaron Lennon in spite of the inclusion of Shaun Wright-Phillips, and the omission of our budding creativity, Jack Wilshere straight after his international debut add up to make this squad appear even more mundane and safe as I first feared. As Bill Gates says; ‘the future is now’, obviously not for Capello. He didn’t even attend the under 19s tournament despite his £6 million a year payment while he irresponsibly holidayed instead. The Italian has no intent to look to the future, he’s content to breeze through the qualifiers whilst collecting his bumper pay cheque while learning and preparing nothing for our patriotic dreams. The same old faces will return and yet again we’ll get to a major tournament with injury problems, the lack of a recognised starting eleven and a bunch of lads thrown together as the ‘wise’ old man continues to tinker with squad after squad. We’re crying out for a decisive leader, and Capello is certainly not the answer.