The Big Match Tactical View: Norwich v West Ham

Grant Holt scored 15 in 2011/12, but is yet to register this season
Saturday afternoon's lunchtime fixture sees West Ham travelling to Carrow Road for the first time in the league since 2003. Michael Cox previews the tactical battle.
Norwich City v West Ham, Saturday 12:45, Sky Sports 2.
Match Odds: Norwich 2.466/4, West Ham 3.211/5, The Draw 3.55/2
This certainly isn't a 'must-win' game for Norwich City - seven other Premier League sides are also yet to record a victory this season - but it certainly feels like the type of match they should win in order to survive relegation this season.
Chris Hughton has a different approach to predecessor Paul Lambert - whereas the Scot chopped and change formations and personnel to give Norwich the edge over opponents, Hughton is a fan of two solid banks of four. With Sam Allardyce's side set to hit long balls towards Carlton Cole (in for the injured Andy Carroll), this might not be the most fascinating game tactically.
The key zone is probably the space in front of the West Ham defence, where both coaches have selection dilemmas. Hughton started the season with Andrew Surman - acting as a link between the midfield and attack - just behind Grant Holt, but after the 5-0 defeat to Fulham, Hughton has preferred a second striker, with Simeon Jackson operating behind Grant Holt, giving more mobility and pace to the Norwich attack.
Allardyce, on the other hand, has changed the identity of his deepest midfielder so far this season. The trio of Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Mohamed Diame have started all three league games, but in West Ham's previous away match against Swansea, Allardyce used James Tomkins as a very deep holding midfielder in order to mark Michu, the deep-lying forward.
Considering that Hughton is likely to go with a second striker, it might be wise for Allardyce to field Tomkins, essentially an extra centre-back, to give West Ham more defensive protection. Alternatively, with Winston Reid flying back from international duty with New Zealand, Tomkins could start alongside James Collins at the back.
Allardyce also has a decision to make on the flanks. The signing of Matt Jarvis means the places of both Matt Taylor and Ricardo Vaz Te are under threat - Vaz Te played well against Fulham in West Ham's previous game, and will fancy running at Javier Garrido, which makes his odds of 4.57/2 to score look fairly promising. Jarvis might start on the left, but Taylor could always drop into the defence in place of George McCartney, where the former Portsmouth man played for the final few games of last season.
It's interesting that Norwich have yet to be shown a single card this season, which is slightly surprising considering they've actually made the sixth-most fouls in the league so far. Holt is the most prolific fouler, however, and with strikers rarely penalised for aerial infringements, this partially explains that statistic.
I think Norwich will attempt to spread the play wide in this match - West Ham are likely to pack the midfield zone with combative players, and Norwich's best chance of success might be getting the ball out to Robert Snodgrass and Anthony Pilkington, and getting crosses in towards Grant Holt. McCartney and Guy Demel - who looks set to start despite being an injury doubt in the week - aren't the best full-backs around, and Holt is a better player than he's given credit for, an all-rounder who makes excellent off the ball runs.
Norwich's midfield duo of Bradley Johnson and Jonny Howson will look to play calm balls out to the flanks, though the amount of creativity from the midfield will depend whether it's a forward (Jackson or Steve Morison) or a creative player (Surman or Wes Hoolahan) used there.
Overall, I think this will be a tight and relatively uninspiring game - I'm not sure either will take the initiative in the match, and both will look to get crosses into their big man upfront. On the basis that they might cancel each other out, I'll back the draw at 3.55n/a.
Recommended bets:
Back Ricardo Vaz Te to score at 4.57/2
Back a draw at 3.55n/a