As West Ham prepare for their trip to South London tomorrow several of the team’s younger players will never have experienced the likely atmosphere in the stands which awaits. Old hands who came through the lower leagues like Jarrod Bowen will be more acquainted with small, ‘intimate’ grounds where the pitch is as close to the stands as the late, lamented Chicken run used to sit at Upton Park.
Having leaders in the dressing room like Tomas Soucek once again will be a big bonus to Nuno’s side as their opponents will seek to rattle the former Premier League side now sitting atop the Championship but still fragile in defence.
Welcome return of one of West Ham’s leaders ahead of Millwalll trip – Tomas Soucek
As Claret and Hugh covered yesterday, Soucek has already passed his first, inane test of character thrown up by this fixture so will be well equipped to lend his cool head to the Hammers dressing room whether he even makes it into the starting XI or just the bench – which seems more likely given West Ham’s strength in midfield.
Claims from Millwall’s Captain Jake Cooper are clearly designed to talk up the spectacle in the hope of getting under the skin of the visitors:
“At The Den, I think our fans will be incredible. It’ll feel like 40,000 in there instead of 20,000. It will be some atmosphere, for sure.” (talksport)
Providing the Irons players keep their heads, stay focussed and stick to playing football and ignoring the physicality which will be coming their way from on the pitch and the inevitable vitriol from the stands (not easy – but that’s what they’ve hopefully been prepared for) then there’s no reason to consider this anything other than ‘just another three points’.
Pretty universally, predictions like ESPN.co.uk suggest nothing other than a West Ham win providing their football isn’t abandoned in the heat of the moment :
“This will be a heated derby, but West Ham still have stacks of Premier League quality and that will make the difference.”.
How good would that be, overcoming their biggest rival in the league and heading into an interminable international break on top of the league.
If they play the game and leave the occasion to us, then quality will out.
The media seem to be desperate for this fixture to descend into a running battle on the pitch with fights and sendings off and additionally, top of their wish list, is a fight or riot in the streets. The super wealthy, who own our once proud media, would rather the working class fought each other than turn their fury on those hoarding all the money whilst proclaiming austerity is the way forward
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