6. Cut Out The Long Balls
Another specific lesson learned from the Newcastle game, thanks to Newcastle's tendency to shift direct balls towards their strikers (with little success so far this year): though they are usually accused of all-too-frequently going for long balls themselves, West Ham will have to ensure that they cut out their opponents attempts to play direct tonight. According to Opta, after 11 games this season, Stoke were the second most direct team in the Premier League so far this season, behind the Magpies (with West Ham down in fifth), with 16% of their passes falling under that classification. It's not surprising, considering the presence of big lads like Peter Crouch, Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters in the squad that Stoke would try to play more direct, but if West Ham can dominate in the air, or press high in attack to stop Stoke's deeper lying players from having the time to pick out their long passes, they will extinguish a good deal of City's threat, forcing them to play through midfield, or down the wings. What do you think Hammers fans? Share your thoughts below.