Alan Smith: West Ham not capable of reproducing Atletico Madrid ‘art’ at Liverpool
Atletico Madrid showed last week in the Champions League that it can be done, Liverpool can be stopped.
Under Diego Simeone they have been schooled in that type of performance, season in, season out, and know exactly what is expected from them.
Defending in that manner is an art form which I do not think West Ham are capable of producing. Of course, Atletico got an early goal and it is always easier to defend when you have got a lead.
You never know, if West Ham get 10 men behind the ball they could make it difficult for Liverpool. But set-up similarly to the way they did against Manchester City last week then there would appear to be only one winner because it would be difficult to see them holding out for 90 minutes.
Their approach against City was not the most adventurous. You had to feel sorry for the fans who travelled to the Etihad and it might be a similar story if their team are not having a go tonight.
David Moyes said before the City game that they were not equipped to have a go. It was a tactic that never looked like succeeding. They rarely got out of their own half. I just wonder whether Moyes is conscious of the goal difference situation and that relegation might be decided by that if things are tight. So rather than looking for points, he is looking for low-scoring defeats.
West Ham need a talisman, someone who can lift them and lead them like Jack Grealish does at Aston Villa. Michail Antonio would probably be the one player you are looking at, someone who can put himself about and get some goals.
He has had a problem with his fitness this season and it surprised me that he was making only his seventh League start against City, which shows you how much he has been missing. West Ham will hope hoping he can last the course and the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson can find some form.
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