The Team To Keep Us Up!

So it is now a three game season and to stay up we have to win two and draw one - at least! There's no place for tinkering and buggering around now, we need a settled team that is 100% committed and prepared. We are stuck with the manager and we are stuck with Downes and we are stuck with the injuries so certain players can't be selected.

The question is, what would be the best team and formation to bring home the points?

For me, it is quite straight forward. We have to stop shipping goals and pick a team with the ability to knock them in at the other end. Keeping out the opposition is crucial which means we have to protect a vulnerable back four. And who is the best holding midfielder in England? Well outside of Essien! Scott Parker.

So Scotty is first on the team sheet but not in the role he has been used in all season by Grant. He must play as he played for England - with discipline throughout the 90 minutes, even if things are not going great further up the field. If the opposition don't score, we only need one to win. It may not be the West Ham way but bugger principles. Parker's role must be to sweep in front of the back four and give short safe passes, enabling us to platform attacks. At all times, he must have three midfielders and two strikers ahead of him when we have the ball. Under NO circumstances must we lose the ball and allow strikers to run unchallenged at our centre backs.

Up front we need goals. That rules out Cole. We may only get two chances in the entire game so we want players who you would back to take them. Keane has missed three sitters in two games so he starts for me as he is overdue a goal and, given he can't play in a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 formation, he needs a striker up top with him. Ba has to come off the flank and play down the middle. He is our best goalscorer so he must be allowed to operate in areas where he is most likely to get a chance. Give him a chance in the box and he is likely to take it so get him in the bloody box!

Now we come to the tricky bit, the defence and how we set up the midfield. Well, without Noble, Dyer and O'Neil, we are not exactly spoilt for choice in the middle of the park are we? But Brady knew we didn't need another midfielder! Hitz starts obviously, albeit it he has been less than brilliant recently. He would be my man to take the ball from Parker and orchestrate the play, the midfield general. Alongside him, Spector has to play. The guy has the legs and gets into the box to support the strikers. Next to him? I would go with Sears given Collison isn't ready and Obinna is shit.

My formation would be 4:1:3:2 or 4:1:2:1:2 with Sears in the more advanced role.

And so to a back four which, after today, would include da Costa over Tomkins and Upson, if fit, for his experience. Then it is Jacobsen and Bridge on the flanks.

So, to stay up my team sets up like this:

Green

Jacobsen, da Costa, Upson, Bridge

Parker

Sears, Hitz, Spector

Keane, Ba

Too good to go down? Maybe!