It has not been a happy season for West Ham United Women, with them struggling to pick up points in the WSL, and currently finding themselves sitting second-bottom of the league, only two points above bottom club Bristol City Women. They have made a managerial change, as former Liverpool Women boss Matt Beard left the club in November and was replaced by Olli Harder, with the New Zealander joining from Norwegian men’s club Sandnes Ulf, where he had been assistant manager. However, they are not yet certain of survival, and know they need to pick up more points if they want to ensure safety in the women’s top flight for another season.
In this tactical analysis, we will look at West Ham’s tactics, with particular focus on where they are stronger, and where they can improve, giving them a good chance of staying up. To do this, the scout report will look at four different aspects of the team.
The midfielders free roles
The first thing we will look at is how the West Ham United Women midfielders have a free role in the team. Canada international Adriana Leon and Australia midfielder Emily van Egmond in particular like to drift around the pitch, moving into spaces where they can offer something for the rest of the team.
Here, we see how Leon, in the red circle, is the heartbeat of the team. Most of West Ham’s attacking play involves her in some way, often because she controls the ball and moves it forward. In this particular image, she moves it into the space for van Egmond, in the red square, to run onto, and this is why Leon’s ability to not panic under pressure from opponents is why she is such an important player for her team.
As for van Egmond, she is a quick, attack-minded midfielder, and is generally the one who gets forward and behind opposing defences. West Ham tend to play with Scotland international Martha Thomas as their central striker, but van Egmond’s pace means she is often the one playing furthest forwards. Here, we see how she has the ball just outside the box, with Tottenham Hotspur Women looking to close her down. However, as well as having pace, van Egmond also possesses skill with the ball, able to turn direction quickly, and she finds the gap in between the defenders here, shooting at goal. The fact that she gets into these positions gives West Ham a target in the final third, which is important, and is something they can build on going into the second half of the season.
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