Winston Reid’s injury problem leaves me feeling very anxious on several fronts.
Those close to the situation believe he could easily be out for several weeks as we approach a really difficult run-in against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton along with others which will prove very difficult.
Should the injury turn out to be a bad one – as several who have had a look fear – then Slaven’s refusal to throw James Collins into the action yesterday, preferring to pull Cheik Kouyate into the back four is not the greatest possible future scenario,
It will mean that we are reliant on a very slow £8 million signing in Jose Fonte playing at the back with Cheik paving the way for Mark Noble to return midfield where he may or may not link up with Pedro Obiang who also looked in real trouble with a turned ankle yesterday.
By this time tomorrow, we should all have been updated on the pair after they have been scanned but there are reports tonight that Reid has already reached for the crutches.
And with Michail Antonio in hamstring bother things look really worrying with the manager declaring: “With Winston Reid, it doesn’t look good, but we have to assess him,
“Also Michail, unfortunately, he probably won’t be able to go to the England squad. It looks like that now. He felt a hamstring and it got worse.
“Pedro twisted his ankle in a challenge but it’s too early to say anything. We have to assess him over the next couple of days. We have the international break now and hopefully; they’re going to be fit soon.”
The remaining fixtures look tough and with one, two or three key players out for any length of time we have could have some nail biting times ahead.
|
1 Apr – Premier League
 Hull City |
vs |
15:00
West Ham
 |
||||
|
5 Apr – Premier League
 Arsenal |
vs |
19:45
West Ham
|
||||
|
8 Apr – Premier League
 West Ham |
vs |
15:00
Swansea City
 |
||||
|
15 Apr – Premier League
 Sunderland |
vs |
15:00
West Ham
|
||||
|
22 Apr – Premier League
West Ham |
vs |
15:00
Everton
 |
||||
|
29 Apr – Premier League
 Stoke City |
vs |
15:00
West Ham
|
||||
|
6 May – Premier League
West Ham |
vs |
15:00
Tottenham
 |
||||
|
13 May – Premier League
West Ham |
vs |
15:00
Liverpool
 |
||||
|
21 May – Premier League
 Burnley FC |
vs |
15:00
West Ham
|
||||
There is zero chance we will get relegated. 2 or 3 more points will be more than enough.
Not a huge nightmare at all. Noble and Fernandez are available for midfield. Playing Kouatye at the back when Reid was injured was to enable a positive substitution considering we were 2 -0 down so has no bearing on whether Collins will play the next game, which if Reid is injured, i assume he will. Fehgouli, Snodgrass and Ayew can all cover Antonio.
In the last month we have squandered so many opportunities to secure safety, so it was inevitable that now we start to come under real pressure to get some points the injuries kick in. I think 5 would probably be enough, but I am struggling to see where they will come from.
Two aspects of yesterday’s game that I have not seen getting much coverage. One of their key defenders, Morgan, was out. Plus they had played a big game on Tuesday. Put those two facts with them being a side side with no away wins & it is embarrassing that we end up two down in no time. The whole season has just been depressing. Unless we get at least 5 pts from the next 4 difficult games we are in real trouble. Normally it would be ridiculous that a side in our position after 25 games was even talking about relegation, but anybody saying it can’t happen now is just whistling in the dark.
Soz young Hugh but my understanding having listened and read Bilic on Antonio was that it is a precautionary England no show.Obiang who knows.
Collins WILL play centre back IF Reid is absent in my opinion if available.
Nail biting times,not a cat in helss chance.Sundrrland and Boro cant score for toffee and Hull will have to gain ten points on us if you take goal diff into account.
Thats also assuming Swanse,Palace and the like go on a run.
Anyone seen Palaces final fixtures
Chelsea,Liverpool,City,United,Southampton are their remaining games on their travels lol
Also Arse and Spuds at home in their ten fixtures.
There is more chance of me a bald bugger of 69 suddenly regrowing a barnet like Boris than us getting relegated lol
We have enough already Ham64 in my very humble opinion.One more point will clinch it.The bottom three aint going to reach 35 this season.
The magic 40 points is bullshot in recent times.
I must be whistling in the dark,either that or know what im on about for once lol
Not sure these injuries qill cause us that much grief. Ultimately yesterday’s injuries forced Bilic to playing some players in positions he never ever would have in a million years and we actually looked good for it. I’m talking of a midfield of lanzini and obiang followed by lanzini and Fernández. Never would he start those two there. Cheik at cb is, imo, his best position. He may have drive in midfield but he has zero ball control.
Finally on antonio. Any manager who doesn’t start him on the right wing is a total bell end. End of.
Like your optimism Stan! All the stats + common sense+ the bookies say you are right. As your age is about the same as mine (say no more nudge nudge) you will have seen our club snatch disaster from triumph many a time,so I just need a bit more persuading that things will turn out right.
My own experience in these frequent relegation battles suggests it is best to ignore how high/ low up the table your rivals are. Fixtures against a top side if they have had a midweek game & have had a lot of games in recent weeks can be good ones. A game against a ‘poor side’ who have just got their fingers out (eg us in April/May 2007) can be a nightmare. A mid table side with nothing to play for can be a pushover. Looking at ours at the moment I don’t see too many good ones on my method. Still…you are probably right even so. I hope so. Not sure I can take another relegation at my/ our age.
Relegation dog fight? Do me a favour.If SFC Boro and one of Swans CP Hull dont go down i will pickle my walnuts to paraphrase Leonard of the Goodman,our waltzing Hammer.
agree Longdog, although I wouldn’t want to bank on it I think we may already have enough points to be safe this season.
Yeah wh32 i think we could possibly be safe on our points total already.I wouldnt bet a shilling on it but it wouldnt surprise me if all three relegated teams go down on 34 or under.Possibly one might break that barrier but they are going to fall well short of the famous and often unnecessary 40.
I don’t think there is no chance that we will get dragged into a relegation fight but I do think it’s unlikely. We need to get 4-6 out of our next 3 games which I think is achievable.