No let up in the run of games now as the brakes are off in the rollercoaster season finale that will see either West Ham, Tottenham or Nottingham Forest ejected from the elite of English football.
Leeds appear – at least to the bookies’ eyes – to have made good their escape with now just an 8% chance of finishing in the bottom three according to OPTA. I wouldn’t be so sure.. there’s a couple of ‘relegation derbies’ which could yet impact their escape plans.
Nuno – laying ghosts to rest after thrashing former club Wolves and leapfrogging Spurs: Now ‘Forest are in his sights
The irony of Nuno Espírito Santo working feverishly to save West Ham United at the expense of one of his former clubs has certainly not been lost on Kat Lucas, writing in the inews.
She claims:”
West Ham are showing why they deserve to stay up – at Tottenham’s expense
Nuno Espirito Santo is banishing the ghosts of his past one by one”
Suggesting that Nuno’s former relationship with both Tottenham and Forest is driving the Portuguese head coach forward in some kind of football driven revenge:
“Nuno has become an enigmatic figure at the heart of the battle for survival, the ghosts of his past dissipating at every turn. In Wolves, he gave one former club an unsympathetic shove towards the drop – in Spurs, he nudged another into mortal peril.
It is not only that he has organised a defence which looked unsalvageable under Graham Potter. The whole attitude has changed…The Hammers are ultimately showing enough signs of why they are still in with a fighting chance.
Indeed. However anyone who saw Nottingham Forest’s spirited performance against Aston Villa and Tottenham’s industrious but ultimately fruitless attempts to score during ninety minutes plus eleven against Sunderland will realise the fine margins that will determine this season’s outcome. And it isn’t quite done and dusted yet.
Under the radar for Hammers-watchers, Crystal Palace, our next opponents, dispatched Newcastle United 2-1 after going behind: It might suggest the game at Selhurst Park next Monday night might be more than just a formality. Plenty of time to worry about that one next weekend. Enough, for now, to enjoy how the table looks today.
The OPTA Supercomputer is rubbish saying Leeds have just an 8% chance of finishing in the bottom three. Just goes to show that artificial intelligence isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
I personally think, unlike the bookies that Leeds are deep in the brown stuff I think the winner of them and spurs is pivotal. Our season depends heavily on the next 2 games. Both winnable but difficult.
Brentford play direct, quick attacking football, they’ve scored 48 goals which is 7th highest in the league, so you know they are a dangerous team. Nobody, finds it easy to beat Everton who have only conceded 37 goals while we have conceded 57. Both teams thrive on long throw-ins and corner goals and are well coached and well drilled. Don’t know about Crystal Palace & have not seen them.
There is no way this is over, same way it was not over in Jan/Feb when team transformation was starting.
So lets ‘calm it’, ok?😊
Peter I think it is only around 20 since jan 1 and that includes a trouncing 3.0 at Molinuex and the weird one at Anfield 5.2.
I think since Disasi’s inclusion and bringing back Mads Hermadsen. We are far better organised at corners and long throws now, and haven’t conceded many recently. We have about 4 clean sheets in this period
Hey D,
Completely agree, also WHU take the game to the opposition more, rather than play 5 at the back & try to soak up that kind of pressure. Those are big changes, but I guess I’m saying they are 7th, 8th for a reason too.
These are winnable games for us, I do think, I’m just wary and opinions are fickle. Watched the game and Brentford are quick & very effective on the break and Everton are a tough nut (like DM!).
Funnily enough, like you I think Leeds are still in the mix for relegation. They have fight & spirit but Forest have a better team, I think we do too, while Spurs are harming themselves.
Let’s not get too carried away. There’s going to be a few more twists and turns before this season finishes.