It could hardly be tougher for the Irons as they head for their first Europa League clash against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday evening.
They are the most successful Croat club ever and are currently top of their league having taken 16 points from their first seven games.
With David Moyes hinting heavily that Mikey Antonio looks set to get a run-out and no doubt Nikola Vlasiic looking for a call-up against his old rivals from the days when he was at Hadjuk Split.
It may well be too that both Zouma and Areola will get their Hammers debuts in a game that could hardly be awaited with more interest.
And should the boss decide that he will play a game which sees us not concede Alex Kral could become an additional defensive midfelder in the line up perhaps at the expense of Fornals
Dinamo, as the most successful club in Croatian football, have won twenty-two Prva HNL titles, sixteen Croatian Cups and six Croatian Super Cups.
The club has spent its entire existence in top flight, having been members of the Yugoslav First League from 1946 to 1991, and then the Prva HNL since its foundation in 199.
Possible Hammers team: Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Kral, Vlasic, Bowen, Antonio
He could give Rice a rest for this one and play Kral and Soucek who are used to playing in the same side, Arthur is now fit and Diop needs some experience so suspect a lot of players like them and Yarmolenko will get a run out. Will Noble captain the side ? Am sure the team could be very different from the one that faced Southampton and should be. The players looked a bit jaded against the Saints which considering the stupid schedule isn’t a surprise.
A draw would be a great result. If the 1200 odd fans make themselves heard throughout the game that should inspire the squad enough to get even a win. There are no easy games especially away. Let them have the ball and counter attack.
Probably the most important thing we need to know about Zagreb is that last year they knocked Tottenham out of The euros and went on to make it to the quarter finals. They eventually lost to the winners of the cup, Villarreal.
In the same game against Tottenham last year they beat Tottenham 3 nil.