West Ham have been putting the finishing touches to their preparations for the big Premier League clash with rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
West Ham will welcome back the last of their international stars today ahead of the big game at Spurs.
With games against Millwall a rarity, playing Tottenham Hotspur is as big as it gets for West Ham.
It has become one of the biggest London derbies in the Premier League.
There’s plenty at stake too with West Ham knowing they can leapfrog Tottenham with a win.
The Hammers have good memories of the game in north London last season.
They came from behind to beat Spurs 2-1 and exposed Ange Postecoglou’s high line as well as his team’s propensity to throw away leads.
Five big things seen in West Ham training for Tottenham
That trait is still prevalent this season as Tottenham lost 3-2 after being 2-0 up at half-time against Brighton last time out.
In his pre-match press conference Julen Lopetegui has highlighted West Ham must try to expose Tottenham’s high line and also win ‘lots of mini matches’ around the pitch.
West Ham have been in training at Rush Green ahead of the game.
The Hammers have released video footage of the session.
And it is quite revealing – perhaps too revealing when it comes to the tactics.
Here’s five big things seen in West Ham training as trio shine and the Spurs gameplan is given away.
1) Young star Mayers clearly rated by Lopetegui
Last month West Ham actually published an article telling fans to be excited about Ezra Mayers.
It has been claimed young defender Kaelan Casey is seen as West Ham’s fourth choice centre-back this season.
The club describe Mayers as ‘one of West Ham United Academy’s most exciting prospects’.
West Ham say he is ‘fearless and dependable in the heart of the defence’.
Mayers is clearly highly rated by Lopetegui. Because he has been training with West Ham’s first team ahead of the Spurs game.
But he’s not just training, he’s seriously impressing too. Footage shows Mayers looking very much at home in and amongst the first team stars. Lopetegui and his coaches and can be heard applauding the defender, who impresses in a series of drills and small-sided games.
2) Guilherme coming to the boil
Luis Guilherme has been eased in to life at West Ham.
But there are signs he’s getting closer to potentially making an impact in the first team.
The Brazilian teen was signed for £20m from Palmeiras in the summer. But he has barely been seen since.
That changed when Guilherme came on as a late sub against Ipswich.
Now he is starting to show what he is capable of in first team training.
Footage shows Guilherme looking very sharp ahead of Tottenham. Scoring goals and using his skill and pace to good effect.
3) Summerville banging on Lopetegui’s door
He’s not the only winger impressing in training, either. Crysencio Summerville has gone from being the first name on the team sheet every week at Leeds to sitting on the bench at West Ham.
Supporters have been really impressed with the Dutchman when he has been given a chance. Hammers fans have been calling for Jarrod Bowen to play up front Mohammed Kudus can move across and Summerville can come into the starting XI.
Summerville was scoring for fun in training and he must surely be knocking on the door to start soon.
Transferring his goalscoring exploits in training to the game against rivals Spurs would certainly do his case no harm at all.
4) Todibo looking classy and comfortable
Jean-Clair Todibo’s performance against Ipswich felt like he had arrived.
The French centre-back is another new signing who has been made to wait.
But it seems to have been the right call from Lopetegui based on his performances against Brentford and Ipswich.
His partnership with fellow new boy Max Kilman is seriously exciting West Ham fans.
And Todibo is looking pure class in training. During rondos his touch, awareness and passing was top level. He is seen wearing a big smile on his face and looks like he can be a real leader for the Hammers.
A quality performance in a positive result against Tottenham will see others outside West Ham start to take notice.
5) West Ham planning to play counter attack for Spurs
The biggest thing spotted in training was the tactics Lopetegui appears to be preparing for Spurs.
It’s unusual for clubs to give too much away in training ground footage.
But West Ham’s players were being put through a very specific drill.
Short sharp passing forwards between three players on rotation with a third man run.
It is a drill used to practice springing counter attack by playing around a press and high line in tight spaces.
The video very much suggests that Lopetegui will be playing on the counter against Spurs.
Especially in light of his comments about winning the ‘mini matches across the pitch’.
It seems a sensible approach and worked last year.
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