Manuel Pellegrini is considering dropping West Ham captain Mark Noble for this weekend’s clash with Arsenal, according to The Daily Mail.
What’s the word?
A mainstay of West Ham’s midfield since 2004 and well established as a cult hero among the fans, Mark Noble will be forgiven for feeling untouchable at the London Stadium but it appears Manuel Pellegrini is looking to throw a spanner in the works.
After back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Bournemouth at the start of the new Premier League season, the former Manchester City boss is considering changes to his team for this weekend’s trip across London to face Arsenal.
According to The Mail, this could see Noble lose his spot in the heart of midfield as Pellegrini considers drafting in Carlos Sanchez and Pedro Obiang into his side – with the experienced skipper at risk as it’s unlikely he will axe Jack Wilshere.
While the report makes it clear Pellegrini is undecided, it gives fans plenty to mull over in the coming days ahead of the game at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Should he be dropped?
Mark Noble is an icon amongst West Ham supporters but it is clear his best days are behind him, as shown by his failure to track back to challenge Callum Wilson for Bournemouth’s equalising goal on Saturday, and fresher legs should definitely be considered.
The issue, however, is that Carlos Sanchez is not the sort of player who can inject drive into the engine room as he is now 32 and Pedro Obiang has had the opportunity to thrive in this role over recent years but hasn’t grabbed the bull by the horns.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”274376″ player=”12034″ title=”The Consequences of West Ham Selling Obiang”]
Concerns about West Ham’s depth in midfield were raised ahead of the transfer window’s closure and the signing of Wilshere, a player who thrives in a more creative role, is not going to be the solution to an incredibly leaky defence.
Pellegrini does need to follow through on his threat to drop his skipper against Arsenal this weekend, in order to make his players stand up and realise that he is no pushover following a disappointing start to the campaign.
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