Andy Carroll’s absence hits hard as West Ham lack cutting edge

 
James Olley16 September 2013

If West Ham's previous outing, against Stoke, was bereft of the stoic work ethic that is the bare minimum Sam Allardyce almost always delivers, then yesterday’s draw at Southampton was a typical example of getting a result by playing to West Ham’s strengths.

This is what you get with Allardyce.

It wasn’t pretty. In fact, for prolonged periods, it was palm-smack-in-the-forehead dull, particularly during the first half when both sides seemed desperate to give the ball to each other.

But there was plenty of resolve in a Hammers side set up to contain their opponents and they could have nicked a winner had James Collins been able to maintain his composure from Mark Noble’s cutback six minutes from time.

The notion that Allardyce’s teams are capable only of functionality without flourish is misguided; there were times, particularly at home last season, when both style and substance were in evidence en route to a comfortable mid-table finish.

Away from home, however, West Ham habitually put safety first, even with Andy Carroll available as the focal point of their attack. Last season, the Hammers scored just 11 Premier League goals away from Upton Park — the lowest of any team in the division — and so it was little surprise that with Carroll absent and no like-for-like replacement available, Allardyce would be cautious and not cavalier.

Depending on your point of view, it is either unfortunate to lose a £15million striker to a somewhat bizarre foot injury until the New Year or poor planning to have only Modibo Maiga and reluctant participant Ricardo Vaz Te as alternatives.

The full impact of Mladen Petric’s arrival will not be felt immediately while he works himself up to match fitness and so yesterday Allardyce was forced to rely on Maiga, who gave his all for the cause but is simply ill-equipped to perform the same role as Carroll does in offering an outlet to alleviate pressure.

That said, while Southampton created the best chances — Pablo Osvaldo should have scored after 11 minutes and Rickie Lambert was unlucky to hit an upright with a second-half header — West Ham were not really under siege at any stage, even as Mauricio Pochettino switched to a 4-2-4 in a bid to break the deadlock.

The Hammers rode their luck at times but are still yet to concede in open play this season. However, a third straight game

without scoring a goal highlights the blunted attacking threat without Carroll available.

“Defensively we showed how good we are, we have conceded only one goal in four games but we just can’t find the back of the net,” said Allardyce.

“Three games without a goal is my concern — it’s not as if we haven’t created any chances or good opportunities in and around the final third to try to score but it’s just eluding us at the moment.

“When a golden chance falls that late in the game, you want to put it in and walk away with all three points.”

An injury to Stewart Downing prompted Allardyce to hand Ravel Morrison his first League start for the club. Morrison played in central midfield with Mo Diame pushed out to the right flank and the 20-year-old showed some promising touches before fading as the game went on.

Morrison’s emergence adds an interesting dimension to the Hammers’ campaign. He was highly regarded at Manchester United but rumours persisted of a questionable attitude and after joining West Ham he spent a season on loan at Birmingham City, where those close to him suggest he recognised the need to knuckle down and learn his trade.

Should Morrison develop as hoped, he could inject some creativity and guile into West Ham’s midfield, although yesterday was not much of an opportunity to show those traits.

The game became something of a war of attrition, with Morgan Schneiderlin perhaps fortunate not to be sent off for a two-footed tackle on Diame.

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