Tag: #FULWHU

Lop-sided West Ham Contrive To Pilfer Undeserved Point From Craven Cottage

A strange team selection was a case of inexplicable self-harm for West Ham’s ambitions as they struggle to build momentum or impose themselves against Fulham. Here are the takeaways.

Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss?

With three Premier League games and an international break under the belt the short trip across town to Craven Cottage should have been the perfect opportunity to get a better understanding of what can be expected from Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham.

Most supporters will have appreciated the need for patience during the transition from the cautious approach of the previous manager and the bedding in of a host of new signings. But many will be left scratching their heads at how little has changed so far – or at least the pace at which change is taking place.  

Lopetegui is not known as a leading-edge progressive coach. But the expectation was that he would prepare a team capable of imposing themselves in games such as this by jealously guarding possession of the ball. There are few signs yet that this is anywhere close to happening and it was Fulham – no more than a decent mid-table team – who by some distance looked the better coached of the two teams.  

Claims that the performance was little different to what was seen last season are wide of the mark with obvious differences in a higher defensive line and desire to play out from the back. However, it was thanks to the Scottish manager’s old chestnut of resilience that eventually allowed the Hammers to scrape out an undeserved draw in the game’s dying minutes. Critics might also point to the fact that West Ham continue to be at the lower end of Premier League teams for possession (43% compared to 41% last season) and (in terms of minutes played) they are now the oldest side in the league.

Growing Pains or Bad Judgement?

There must have been a collective groan across the West Ham supporting world when the team sheets again revealed starting positions for both Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek – and the absence of any semblance of creativity in midfield. It is ironic that while every supporter in the land is aware of the deficiencies these two have with ball control, it is lost on a highly experienced coaching team who work with them every day. Are we to believe they are the masters of one-touch and instant control in training all week, and only revert to clown shoe wearing incompetents once the referee’s whistle blows?  

An argument might be made for the coach showing loyalty to members of the squad that he inherited but they have had their chance, and their time has now passed. Everything else that went wrong in the performance stemmed from that initial inexplicable team selection decision. Playing a high defensive line while being incapable of keeping the ball through the middle was never going to work out well.

Formations and Substitutions

It would have been a major surprise if Antonio and Soucek had not been hooked off at half-time. It was such an obvious change that no credit can go to the coaching staff for spotting it. It was a better West Ham performance in the second period but, in truth, it would have been impossible to be any worse. Despite that, it was never a convincing turn around and after an initial flurry, the hosts largely remained in control.

Formations can be very fluid in modern football and vary depending on whether you are in or out of possession. It was not apparent after the break that everyone fully understood their role. The full backs rarely got far enough forward to provide the width that we are told Lopetegui expects, but neither did they resembled a traditional back four – largely occupying a no-mans-land between the two. And the front three – Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and ‘Jimmy’ Summerville – who should be a handful for anyone failed to operate as unit to put the Fulham defence under pressure. It is as if there is still a fixation with ‘one’ up front rather than ‘three.’ Failing to address this structural issue will not resolve the isolated striker problem that had haunted the Hammer’s attacking play for many a season – whether it is Bowen, Danny Ings or Nicklas Fullkrug playing as the arrow head.

We should perhaps give credit to the coach for flooding the field with attack minded players in the closing stages although positioning was somewhat anarchic as Kudus switched from left to right to left again and Summerville popped up on the right in the build up to the equaliser. The Ings goal was well taken and suggest that he can maybe do a job for now if given the right level of support.

The Strange Case of the Missing New Signings

I am not as negative on Dinos Mavropanos as other West Ham supporters appear to be. Goals conceded are more often a case of joint enterprise where it is defensive shape and cumulative failings that lead to a defence being breached rather than individual error. Mavropanos was certainly excruciatingly slow in closing down Smith-Rowe but how was the latter given so much space in the first place? And where was Aaron Wan-Bissaka who after previous encouraging performances was given the run around for most of the afternoon by Iwobi and Smith-Rowe?

Having said that, Mavropanos has not been so outstanding as to deny giving Jean-Clair Todibo the opportunity to show what he can do. Todibo comes highly rated, so his lack of game time (8 minutes in total) is a mystery. There is  no chance of adapting to life in English football from sitting on the bench.

And what has become of Luis Guilherme who neither gets a place in the matchday squad or seemingly the opportunity to play for the U21s. It’s an unusual way to develop a player even if he is regarded as one for the future.

Must Do Better

Four points from four games is not a great start to a season where the ambition has to be competing for one of the available European places. It’s early days but the hopeful shoots of improvement have yet to emerge.

The current trajectory of one point per game would have us on the fringes of relegation battle, although that will surely improve as the season progresses. The coach has another four of five games to demonstrate the club is on the right path before the pressure mounts. On a more positive note, West Ham earned just one from the equivalent four fixtures last season, so arguably we are already ahead of the curve. COYI!

West Ham have already avenged the five goals conceded at Selhurst Park last season. Can we become repeat avengers when we visit Fulham?

Despite having a manager that was frequently described as cautious, one of the most disappointing aspects of the 2023-24 season was the fact that we conceded more goals in the Premier League than all the other teams with the exception of the three that were relegated. It didn’t take the new head coach very long after getting his feet under the table to decide that this was one area that needed urgent rectification.

Many thought we had paid over the odds splashing out £40 million on the Wolves captain, but early signs are good and Kilman would appear to be worth every penny based on his performances so far. Todibo is a player who was coveted by many, and although he has little opportunity to date, hopefully he can prove to be an equally astute acquisition. Wan-Bissaka has hit the ground running and has demonstrated his defensive capabilities already, plus surprisingly to some (perhaps the Manchester United management?) excellent full back attacking qualities. At £15 million for a 26-year-old he may turn out to be one of the best captures of the last transfer window. It was a surprise to me that he wasn’t coveted by more teams.

Two of the more depressing results last season came on visits to London sides who finished below us in the table. Who would have thought that we would go away to North London and return with six points from the games at Tottenham and Arsenal, but concede ten goals on our trips to Fulham and Crystal Palace? It was 5-0 at Craven Cottage which was then compounded by a 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium towards the end of the season. At least we managed to take a point off Palace in a 1-1 draw at home, before being thrashed 5-2 at Selhurst Park just a week after the dispiriting loss at home to Fulham.

After just three games this time we have already avenged last season’s humiliation at Palace with goals from Soucek and Bowen in a 2-0 win last month in our first away trip of the season. Game four of the new campaign, the first after the ‘ridiculously early in the season’ international break gives us the opportunity to take our revenge on Fulham too when we visit Craven Cottage this weekend.

It is astonishing how the fixtures computer has thrown up this season’s early games in that the first nine, covering a quarter of a season almost, are all in London! The game after this one coming up is a home game against Chelsea, and once again an early opportunity to remedy last season’s shocking visit to Stamford Bridge in May when they were another team to give us a 5-0 hiding. And the game after that is a visit to the Brentford Community Stadium where we went down 3-2 last season after holding a half-time lead.

We don’t travel for a Premier League game outside the capital until November when we visit Nottingham on Matchday 10. By then we would have already had two international breaks and a third will be just two games away. What a way to disrupt a campaign! Three international breaks will have been endured after just eleven games of the season. Ridiculous in my view!

Although a number of our key players have been away on international duty, I hope that the new head coach has had the opportunity to take stock of the situation. Yes, we have lost twice at home already, although they were fixtures against teams that finished in the Champions League qualification places last time around. However, we have already avenged the Palace debacle from last season, lets hope we can do the same at Fulham.

I’ve no idea what Mr Lopetegui has in mind for team selection but personally I’d like to see Kudus moved inside into the number 10 role where I think he can do more damage (he can’t perform at his best stuck out on the left despite still being a threat), and Summerville given a start on the left. Perhaps Kudus and Bowen can interchange between the centre and right throughout the game? I had hoped for Fullkrug to be given an opportunity from the start this time too but his injury picked up on international duty has put an end to that idea. Once again we are short of any real alternative to Antonio in the ‘number 9’ role. I wonder if Bowen will be pushed forward as he was at times last season to allow Kudus to play on the right and get Summerville into the team that way? Who knows? Another three points would be good though. What are the chances?

It’s happened again to Tottenham as West Ham Hit Back – Moyesball 2 AngePostball 1. The third London derby in a row is a trip across the capital to face Fulham.

It’s happened again. It’s happened again. Why does it keep happening to poor old Tottenham? Five points clear at the top of the table followed by five games in which they held the lead only to let the advantage slip in every one. West Ham can’t be too complacent because we are in the top half of the ‘letting it slip’ league this season but not in the same class as our North London neighbours who are well clear at the top of this particular league.

We go into the away game at Fulham on Sunday unbeaten in our last six, with six wins in our last eight games (in all competitions) retaining our position of ninth in the table. Ten points from our last four league games matches the ten points that we picked up in our opening four fixtures this season before the blip in between. Before any games were played this weekend, after 15 games the league table has now developed into two divisions, the top and bottom half, or rather the top nine and the bottom eleven. For a while it looked as though we would struggle to maintain a place in the top section but we are hanging on at the bottom of that group and hopefully we can stay there. We are just three points away from Tottenham who are fifth.

The contrast between the managers and players at the end of Thursday night’s game couldn’t have been more pronounced. Postecoglou and Son both seemed to be on the verge of tears whereas you couldn’t wipe the smiles from the faces of JWP, Bowen and Moyes. The first half was as one-sided (in terms of possession and intricate pretty passing) as you could get (at one stage the possession stats read 91%-9%). We couldn’t retain the ball and Tottenham kept coming at us. But what did they actually create? How many real goal scoring opportunities? Not a lot, hardly any, and Fabianski was confident and barely troubled. In fact Paqueta had perhaps the best chance in the whole of the first half but failed to get a relatively simple header on target which would have made the scores level at the break. The goal that we had conceded from Romero’s header should certainly have been avoided.

Our second half performance was much improved although there was an element of good fortune with the goals. Bowen didn’t even realise at first that the double ricochet off Romero and Davies had broken to him and left him with a clear chance, but he duly obliged with his right foot (which he admitted after he was worried about) to notch his seventh goal in seven consecutive away games, an outstanding feat by any standards. More poor Spurs defending with a dodgy backpass and a goalkeeper who should perhaps have collected the ball left JWP with a clear opportunity which he took at the second attempt. You know how he enjoys the assist statistics – perhaps he purposely hit the post first so that he could claim the assist as well as the goal, or perhaps the home side’s left-hand post will be credited with the assist!

The anti-Moyes / Moyes luvvies swingometer swung towards the latter group in this game but the doubters still remain and wonder what a team comprising Kudus, Paqueta, Bowen, JWP, Alvarez, the revitalised Soucek, and the ever-improving Emerson might achieve with a more positive approach.

Before this weekend’s games Fulham sat comfortably in the middle of the 10th-15th (top half of the lower half) group separated by just three points. In ninth place we were five points clear of tenth place Chelsea and hopefully we can maintain or extend that. As always there are some worrying statistics ahead of the game – you know the ones – where we have past performances that are very good and could ‘come a cropper’ on Sunday.

For example, Fulham have lost five of their last six home Premier League derby games against London sides failing to score each time. In fact they’ve gone 11 London derbies now (home and away) since their last win. Along with wins over Southampton and Tottenham (them again!) West Ham have won more Premier League games against Fulham than against any other teams. Even more worrying perhaps is the fact that David Moyes hasn’t lost in the last 13 times he has faced Fulham. This includes his time here, at Manchester United and Everton.

For those who like to compare records, West Ham have won 7 games this season and lost 5. Fulham have won 5 and lost 7, hence the six-point gap between the teams. We have scored 26 and Fulham have conceded 26. The records are not too dissimilar, with the two games that we have won that Fulham have lost being the difference.

I’d like to think that we can collect another three points in this game, but we don’t have a very good record when playing on a Sunday following a Thursday night game. It would be great to reverse this trend as there will be another one coming up next week too. COYI!

If it is any consolation after Wednesday’s debacle West Ham still have a game in hand over all their relegation rivals as they travel to Craven Cottage

But games in hand mean nothing unless you pick up points from them

I find it difficult to add to Geoff’s excellent article this week. If you haven’t read it yet, then I recommend you do so now. Of the nine teams still involved in the fight against dropping into the Championship, only West Ham and Forest have failed to change their manager this season. Will one or both go down? Who knows? It is still too close to call. I keep reading that our manager has one more game to save his job, but if he wasn’t going to go after a 5-1 home drubbing then I guess he’s here for the season now come what may. And I find that truly astonishing.

There are three specific changes I would definitely like to see for our trip to Craven Cottage. Firstly, I believe that a change of goalkeeper is long overdue and Areola must surely replace Fabianski now. Our number 1 has been good, but time is catching up on him.

Kehrer must be replaced by Coufal. I thought Kehrer was badly at fault for the first two goals (although not the only one!). As a defender he lacks awareness of what is going on around him and I believe Coufal, while not perfect, is a better bet in that position.

As for Soucek, I just cannot understand how he can possibly be picked for game after game. To me his season has been full of giving the ball to the opposition or committing fouls and giving an innocent look at the referee as if he cannot understand why a decision has gone against him.

Of course defensively there are others who had poor games against Newcastle. Perhaps Aguerd could be replaced by Ogbonna, but I’d personally be happy to retain him, or perhaps as Geoff has suggested we might even go with a 3-5-2 formation, and keep Zouma, Ogbonna and Aguerd? Fornals and Downes come into the picture, or perhaps play Antonio and Ings together up top and move Bowen a little deeper in a 4-4-2? I don’t think Ings as a lone striker works – he’s not that type of player.

My team would be (4-3-3): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Rice, Paqueta, Downes; Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma.

But I very much doubt that will be the starting eleven.

So who will go down? It’s still a tough question to answer. There’s still only three points separating Palace in twelfth with Bournemouth in the third relegation spot. We are 15th but only out of the bottom three on the basis of (a worsening) goal difference. All the teams involved at the bottom still have nine games to play, although we have ten.

Bookmakers’ relegation odds are not changing too much and we are still eighth favourites to go down. If you look at the form table for the very last game then we are bottom on goal difference! But if you look at the last five games then it is a different story. The three teams who are odds on to go down are Southampton, Bournemouth and Forest. Everton, Leicester, Leeds and Wolves come next (in that order) and then we are equal eighth favourites with Palace.

The league table at present from the bottom up:

Southampton 23 (9 to play), Leicester 25 (9), Bournemouth 27 (9), Forest 27 (9), Everton 27 (9), West Ham 27 (10), Wolves 28 (9), Leeds 29 (9), Palace 30 (9).

The form table (once again from the bottom up) for the last five games played shows ourselves and Leeds as the in-form teams:

Leicester 1, Forest 2, Palace 3, Wolves 4, Southampton 5, Bournemouth 6, Everton 6. West Ham 7, Leeds 7,

None of the bottom seven teams is averaging a point a game for the season to date, although five of the bottom nine teams are averaging a point a game for the last five games played (including two of the bottom three in the league table Southampton and Bournemouth).

I have updated the table that sets out our remaining 10 league games with the figures in brackets the points that we picked up in the reverse fixtures already played earlier in the season. If we were to replicate those then we would collect another 7 points to take us up to 34. Might that be enough? It might be or it might not. We now have only four home games left (where we have collected the bulk of our points this season) and Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are three of them – not the simplest games on paper. If we are to survive then collecting more points on the road is likely to be vital.

8/4 Away v Fulham (3)

16/4 Home v Arsenal (0)

23/4 Away v Bournemouth (3)

26/4 Home v Liverpool (0)

29/4 Away v Palace (0)

3/5 Away v Man City (0)

7/5 Home v Man Utd (0)

13/5 Away v Brentford (0)

20/5 Home v Leeds (1)

28/5 Away v Leicester (0)

Fulham have had an excellent season and sit in the top half of the table, but their form in the last five games shows only four points attained (three less than ourselves) and they have lost their last three. We must go into this game thinking we can win. But will we be set up by the manager not to lose? The ‘six pointers’ still to come at Bournemouth, Palace and Leicester and at home to Leeds will be crucial to our hopes of survival, but we must look to pick up some points in games where we are possibly not expected to. I think we will win today and I’m confident we will stay up. What are the chances?

There’s Only One F in Failure: Paralysis and Denial Set West Ham on Course For Catastrophic Relegation

Shell shocked West Ham will hope to pick up their shattered reputations as they cross London to Fulham in search of desperately needed points at Craven Cottage

F is for failure, but also for feeble, fiasco, farcical or several other words that are too fruity to mention here. Admittedly expectations weren’t high from Wednesday night’s game-in-hand against Newcastle, but self-harm, surrender, capitulation and a complete mullering hadn’t been on my radar. How might that one-time goal difference advantage look once West Ham have crossed swords with Arsenal and Manchester City?

In other circumstances, the result could be written off as a freak – a one-off like Manchester United losing 7-0 to Liverpool. But we are well aware the problems run much deeper at the London Stadium. Except that no-one seems to want to do anything about it. Continuing to treat it as a temporary dip in form that will be effortlessly turned around by doing the exact self-same thing again for the remaining ten matches of the season.

In his Groundhog Day press conferences, David Moyes has been true to form. Assuring us that his genius had given West Ham and the fans the best two years of their lives by finishing 6th and 7th and presenting the European adventures that this had spawned. Supporters should be grateful for such scraps and are fooling themselves if they think they are too good to get dragged into desperate and demoralising relegation scraps every few seasons. This season, he had been let down badly by the shortcomings of the very players he had signed, coached, and selected. And by supporters who were not fanatical enough to appreciate the alternative interpretation of the beautiful game being served up at the London Stadium. The beauty of Moyes ball can only be truly understood by the perceptive and grounded few!

To be fair to Moyes, that first full season in 2020/21 was excellent as the club established new records for number of wins, points, and size of goal difference. The football played during the purple patch immediately following Jesse Lingard’s loan signing was a joy to watch. The team were well organised but also played with a freedom that is totally missing today. Much of that decline is entwined with the star-crossed love affair between David and Jesse. Moyes couldn’t get his man, lost himself in the pursuit over several transfer windows, and was negligent in not finding an alternative to bridge the enormous gap between midfield and isolated striker.

I doubt Moyes is left with many backers outside of the boardroom, and there are constant rumours of tensions between manager, coaches, and players. It is an untenable situation in the middle of relegation struggle and the only feasible solution is surely a change of manager. Strangely, the Board don’t see it that way – quite what the rationale is for sticking with Moyes defies comprehension. Whatever credit the manager had is well and truly used up, and no-one guides a team to this level of underperformance and then miraculously recovers from it. It is only the inevitable that is being delayed.

The easy conclusion to jump to is that it is all about the money. Yet, for all Sullivan’s deranged attempts to run a professional and sustainable football club, he has invested heavily in it and must be aware that the value of his asset is closely aligned to its Premier League status. The drop in value that relegation would bring far outstrips the cost of compensation payments due. 

We should not ignore, however, that the Newcastle debacle rested heavily on collective and individual player errors. We should demand a reaction from that on Saturday. The views of supporters on individual players – as posted on online forums and social media – is varied and often scathing. At the more extreme end there is no player who escapes criticism of being either hopeless, stealing a living, out of his depth, or lacking commitment. If that is true, then it is a hole that not even a change of manager can repair.

From my perspective, I think the current woes stem almost entirely from outdated and rigid tactics that exist in isolation from the strengths and abilities of the players on the pitch. Sure, some positions require upgrade, but as I have written before, football at the elite level is a game of fine margins that requires a collective sense of spirit and direction. It must combine sound organisation with freedom of expression if it is to flourish and tactics have to adapt as circumstances change. West Ham under Moyes have stood still tactically and opponents will give hardly a second thought as to how we will setup. Even when he makes in-game changes, they are like for like personnel swaps rather than tactical switches. Belief and motivation have disappeared and the the team have been going through the motions. No cohesion, little movement, few options, scant variation.

And so, we are back to yet another episode in the long running series of ‘One More Game To Save His Job’, this time against Fulham. I suppose it means that avoiding defeat tomorrow gives Moyes a free hit to lose to Arsenal the following Sunday, before the last chance cycle repeats again at Bournemouth in two weeks’ time. Seems to make perfectly, practical, and professional sense – to nobody!

I’m wondering whether Moyes will revert to a three/ five at the back at Craven Cottage. It’s rarely looked convincing for us, but it would be a typical Moysey thing to do following a heavy defeat. It would allow him to quietly drop Tomas Soucek for tactical reasons and play Jarrod Bowen further forward alongside Danny Ings or Michail Antonio. The idea of playing two up front but sticking with a back four doesn’t feel particularly viable given West Ham’s tendency for being overrun in midfield. I’m guessing something like: Areola, Aguerd, Zouma, Ogbonna, Coufal, Rice, Paqueta, Fornals, Emerson, Bowen, Ings.

It is fortunate timing that Fulham will be missing talisman striker Mitrovic for the game as he continues to serve his lengthy referee grappling ban. What we need now is for Toney to receive an equally lengthy ban for his betting misdemeanours before the visit to Brentford in mid-May.

Fulham have enjoyed a creditable season so far, and together with Brighton and Brentford have formed a refreshing alliance of ‘minnows’ upsetting the status quo of the Premier League. Whenever I have seen them, they have played an entertaining brand of football under the talented but volatile management of Marco Silva. Silva will be serving a touchline ban for tomorrow’s encounter. What odds a man-of-the-match performance from Issa Diop?

There needs to be a helpline setup for those of us who desperately want Moyes gone but equally would be devastated by a West Ham relegation. Despite a shockingly bad away record it is one of the potential winnable game for the Hammers. But if we get the win, then we are stuck with the manager for several more weeks. Lose, and we might be rid of the manager, but the opportunity for points is lost. What is the right thing to do? COYI

***

There was at least some good West Ham news last night when the U18s made it through to the FA Youth Cup Final with a 6-1 victory over Southampton at the London Stadium. It is the first time the Youths have made it to the final in 24 years. There are some serious good prospects among that group and I look forward to the final against Arsenal towards the end of April. Well done lads!

Capital Punishment: Hammering More Nails Into The Cottager’s Coffin

There’s plenty to play for at either of the table as the top team in London visit the one at the bottom. Can West Ham put a further dent in Fulham’s survival chances?

I have to admit to being quite nervous about the Hammers reaction to defeat by Liverpool before they travelled to Villa Park on Wednesday night. After too many years of disappointment, my default setting, when it comes to supporting West Ham, is locked permanently at ‘fear the worst’. That they not only won, but did so with such aplomb, and with one of the most accomplished performances for some time, was mightily impressive. If courage, composure and determination is the new ‘West Ham way’, then it gets my vote!

If the previous Sunday was a reality check for the Hammers, then Wednesday was reality Czech for Villa. The two bargain signings from the Czech Republic has proved to be some of the most inspired transfer business in West Ham history.

Vladimir Coufal handed out a defensive masterclass by completely neutralising the threat of a dejected Jack Grealish. Ably assisted by the surprise inclusion of Ryan Fredericks the message was clear for all, stop Grealish and you stop Villa. Coufal has quickly become a West Ham cult hero. A tough, determined, and resolute master of the full back craft, full of running, skill and experience – and without the reckless tackles than has so often lead similar characters into troubled waters.

Tomas Soucek just gets better and better. Not only part of one of the best defensive midfield partnerships in the league, but also superb in the air at both ends and continuing to weigh in with priceless goals. The man never stops running. Even for the second West Ham goal – a rapid Hammer’s counter-attack – it was Soucek who turned up right on top of the keeper in case the ball was spilled from Jesse Lingard’s shot.  There should also have been a first West Ham penalty of the season when he was clearly (and obviously) tripped in the area by McGinn during the first half. Perhaps VAR had popped out to the toilet.

In truth, there were excellent performance right throughout the team even though, not surprisingly, it was Lingard who grabbed most of the plaudits and headlines with his two-goal debut performance – a first for the Hammers since Tricky Trev did the same against Everton in January 1998. The addition of Lingard brought a much better balance to the West Ham forward play and his level of understanding with those around him was impressive for such a new arrival. Now we wait to see whether that level of performance can be maintained.

The frenetic Premier League programme eases off after this week’s round of games as European competition starts up once again to fill the vacant midweek spots for the seven English clubs still involved. Does having longer breaks between matches offer any advantage to a team looking to sneak up on the rails?  

This weekend it is another London derby with a visit to struggling Fulham at Craven Cottage – our last away derby of the season. Many years ago, West Ham would publish the Unofficial London Championship in the matchday programme, based on the results of the derby matches. In the season to date, despite being top London club, the Hammers would only be midtable if such a competition existed, having already lost to Chelsea and Arsenal. Fulham have been defeated in all three of their home derby matches so far, and will be favourites to make it four in a row tomorrow. The Cottagers are currently on an eleven game winless run in the league and are also winless in their last nineteen top-flight London derbies – those are the kind of statistics that would worry a West Ham fan of old but things are different now ……….. aren’t they?

It does look grim for the three clubs at the bottom of the Premier League table as the teams above them start to pick up wins, appearing to leave Sheffield United, West Brom and Fulham. Of the three, it would be good to see Fulham (and Scott Parker) pull off an unlikely escape – they are, probably, the best placed to do so given current points total and relatively modest negative goal difference. As long as any revival waits another week.

It should be more of the same from West Ham as far as team selection is concerned. Most of us were surprised to see Fredericks named in the starting lineup at Villa Park, but I expect him to make way for Jarrod Bowen tomorrow – unless David Moyes feels that Bowen needs a bit of a longer rest. Other than that, it should be business as usual.

The Fulham danger man will again be the industrious Lookman, although he is unlikely to be taking any more penalties. New signing Maja may make his debut for the hosts following his move from Bordeaux if Parker decides not to stick with the lumbering Mitrovic. Perhaps it’s just me, but I really don’t get what Loftus-Cheek offers. Amazing that he has ten England caps to his name.

Despite their long winless run, Fulham have drawn a good few matches – including games against Liverpool, Tottenham, and Southampton – and they have not been shipping a lot of goals of late. So we might expect the game to be a tight affair, and one where the Hammers must be alert to an early period of home pressure. West Ham are the form team, though, and should have more than enough quality to add another victory to their impressive 2021 tally. West Ham to win 2-0. COYI!