West Ham (A) Build Up and Matchday Thread

[lemonjelly]

Fancies a bit of a shock.



There is often a negative vibe at London Stadium so it is possible that an absence of fans will not hurt West Ham's chances as much as it might do to other sides.

Clearly Wolves have had a much better season but the Hammers are not a bad team on their day, and are better than their position in the table suggests, so I am backing them to spring a bit of a surprise.

Lawro's prediction: 1-0

E&S have clearly read this and run with the same idea in their preview.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The only potential problem for Wolves this season was that Nuno Espirito Santo was playing the same team week-in, week-out, but after the break they have had, they will be strong again. That issue might come back around again with the number of games to be played in such a short space of time, but it will not be a factor right now..

What issue? We have only had a period of consistent poor form for the first few weeks of the season (when Nuno was chopping and changing a fair bit), not sure what he is trying to say here?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Its the same old "Wolves have no depth" line I guess. The journos just don't seem to get it.

Charlie Nicholas has gone for 1-1, while tipping us as his dark horse for the top four. If we want that, I think this is a game we have to be winning, personally.

 

[The Bear]

Even the Man Utd fan mentions our small squad, even though it never affected us all season playing twice a week regularly.

 

[Tony Towner]

Its the same old "Wolves have no depth" line I guess. The journos just don't seem to get it.

Charlie Nicholas has gone for 1-1, while tipping us as his dark horse for the top four. If we want that, I think this is a game we have to be winning, personally.

I think to make the Top 4 we have to win the next 3 against teams in the bottom 5.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's just daft though, we can name a 20 man squad tomorrow and none of them will be deadweight, how many first team players do people think we should have? I'll never understand the seeming need to have players earning tens of thousands of pounds a week sitting around doing nothing.

 

[The Bear]

I think to make the Top 4 we have to win the next 3 against teams in the bottom 5.

We just have to outscore Sheff Utd, Man Utd and Spurs.

Our fixtures mean we have a good chance of that.

 

[Paul]

Charlie Nicholas has gone for 1-1, while tipping us as his dark horse for the top four.

Probably the crowning achievement of the Fosun era is converting Charlie Nicholas

 

[Tony Towner]

Probably the crowning achievement of the Fosun era is converting Charlie Nicholas

Morgan did that by sacking McCarthy

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

We just have to outscore Sheff Utd, Man Utd and Spurs.

Our fixtures mean we have a good chance of that.

And Chelsea. Sure fifth may well be enough, but fourth is certainty

 

[The Bear]

I was just on about getting into Europe, not specifically the CL.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Nicholas is talking about us to finish fourth.

 

[The Bear]

Yeah I was just getting mixed up. Chelsea will be a tough one to crack.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

To do it we must win the first three I reckon, and then probably Arsenal too. We must stay in range before the last two games. Ideally within 3 points by the time we play Palace and they go to Liverpool. That would keep us in the game going to Stamford Bridge on the final day. Plus United go to Leicester on the final day. The race for fourth could be pretty epic.

 

[Tony Towner]

I think you'll see Liverpool and City playing their second 11s in the last few games

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I don't see us getting particularly close, we'll still draw too many games.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Liverpool's last home game? With trophy lift? And Klopp wanting to beat the City record points total? I don't think Klopp is going to be weakening his side particularly.

 

[Keef]

You're assuming Liverpool will carry on where they left off,they could,but equally could not,myself I'd love them to collapse and throw it away

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

That would make Devon Loch look like a small blip.

 

[Norman Deeley]

Infogol, using xG, has us with a 55% chance of winning