BBC pundit and self styled arch enemy of West Ham fans, Mark Lawrenson has once again tipped the Hammers to lose. No surprise there I suppose but the pundit then goes on to justify his prediction by saying we will be suffering from fatigue after 120 minutes of football earlier this week and adds a dig to say we are not playing very well anyway.
Just some free advice to Lawro for his predictions: Norwich are third from bottom after losing to bottom club Aston Villa 2-0 last week, four days before that they lose 3-0 to Spurs together with previous losses against Liverpool, Bournemouth and Man City in the weeks proceeding that. Their only win this year came on 2nd January when they beat an out of form Saints 1-0 at home. They have conceded 48 goals this season from 25 games and have a goal difference of -20. Hardly rocket science is it?
This is what the so call pundit had to say!
“West Ham are another team that had 120 minutes of FA Cup football in midweek, with their extra-time win over Liverpool on Tuesday”
“The Hammers are not playing that well anyway, but fatigue from that tie is part of the reason I am backing Norwich here, despite the Canaries’ dismal form that has seen them lose five league games in a row and drop into the bottom three.”
“The last time Norwich had a positive result was when they won back-to-back home games against Southampton and Aston Villa at the turn of the year.”
“Alex Neil’s team have conceded eight goals in their past two home games and they desperately need their results at Carrow Road to improve because their away form is not going to keep them up.”
Lawro’s prediction: 2-0
Just reading some other news and A Gray has gone 2-0 as well,
So it’s gray by name and the gray man looks gray clothes are gray
Dull Dull
Never mind never seen the muppets for along time,
Hamburg what’s wrong with Klopp he needs to stop the caffeine and use his football knowledge,
32 why would you leave Antonio on the bench ? He does not need a break forwards like to keep scoring runs going,
Agree with Oxford playing alongside Ogbonna bit of speed with the hard wall,
Obiang after Kouyate is the best midfielder at the moment,
Byram needs at least 4 games before Tomo returns to see if he is better,
Emenike is made for Norwich with his speed maybe along side Payet in the middle
Antonio on the right Valencia or Moses on the left
Spoils for choice even with the injuries,
Norwich will look to attack our achilles heel, slow starts against teams that are under pressure, they know we put it all on the line against Liverpool so they will try and make it a hard physical game, if we start slowly and give any goals away early it will be difficult to get a result. I hope Slav rings the changes that he can and gives Oxford a chance at centre back, so that we have a fair degree of fresher blood on the field, we have Carroll and Emenike that are fresh legs, Obiang has barely played so he should get 90 minutes as should Song and Byram, maybe even leave Antonio on the bench and start with Moses. Main thing is pick up 3 points and put a team thats under huge pressure to the sword, rather than sit back and let the desperate animal attack. As for Lawrenson his opinions are as outdated as his hairstyle and fashion sense, generally speaking him tipping us to lose is good news lets make it so again tomorrow.
It’s a travesty he’s drawing a wage from the BBC for this, he doesn’t predict the outcome of games, he’s having his own little personality showpiece, taking the ****, contradicting himself as he goes along, spoting biased and blinkered ********.
I know he’s taking the mickey now, but what’s the point really if he is supposed to be an expert pundit but is not actually doing his job of predicting the outcome of games ?
One defeat in 12 and we are rubbish just can’t believe you lot,
Slav is a failure picking the team,Byram is second choice to a player who has yet to play right back,
Every game has been Entertaining,we are watching talented players performing good football even if it’s not for 90 minutes,
Just think back 12 months,24 months 36 months,what did you have to look forward to,
Have to pinch myself every week
Before this year when did we on a Thursday sign the best midfielder in the premier for another 5 years,just 2 days after putting Liverpoor out of the cup for the first time EVER
but all I am reading is how we are bad against this team or that,how Alav has everything wrong,
Must have come on the wrong site,
Miserable tits .com
I am disappointed in you ‘orrible lot? Where’s the vitriol, the anger, the hatred, the spitting fire? Deary me…disappointed…
Totally agree, if the management fail to get the team selection and attitude right from the start then we will get beat. Need a step up in performances big time. Bilic is a lovely guy and so seem his assistants but what we need is some lovely performances – free the reigns, go offensive with 4 attacking players.
Unfortunately, he is correct. We haven’t put in a good performance for a while. Southampton was similar to Swansea was similar too etc. Too many bad games.
Poor old deluded Mark Lawrenson – he gets criticised for his choice of shirts, ridiculed for thinking that Alaska is a Country beginning with ‘A’ on a ‘Celebrity’ edition of Pointless, humiliated after getting umpteen West Ham predictions wrong this year – surely he’s due a turn in his luck – but not this week!
Lawrenson is enjoying that so many of us get angry each time he puts us down to lose. Best thing is to ignore the idiot. Have a look at his league table.. he has so far managed to have 2 team positions correct. 10% success rate.. that shows his expertise as a pundit.
Just noticed Sky Sports list Joey as one of our key first team players who will be missing tomorrow. No answer to that is there
he will be very key when the next FA cup match comes round lol
Well, I get to see this game live on TV this week, so I hope he doesn’t turn out to be a Job’s comforter. Even people who are lousy at their jobs get it right sometimes, even by the law of averages. Just don’t want it to be this week.
Firstly I believe it is the best season we have had for as long as I remember. Secondly I don’t rate Lawro as a pundit and I genuinely believe he does not rate us. However I do agree with him on one thing – it may be our best ever season but for the last few games we are not playing well. I just have not seen the team playing with real style and energy. I thought we were awful against Southampton first 20 mins and against Villa for first 45 mins. The style for me is not yet there and I believe it is because we are playing players out of position at times. I would like to see Valencia on the left wing running at players and cutting inside but Bilic for some strange reason has him playing everywhere but there. Payet is much better through the middle in front of the midfield two of which Kouyate has to be one and in my opinion Obiang the other. I just feel that the team are not clicking the way they should at the moment and I genuinely hope the manager turns this around. I believe Oxford should start against Norwich at RB ahead of Byran, he will bring incredible stability to the back 4 even at this tender age. So I do worry that Norwich will win this game but if we do turn up with the right team on the pitch and no crazy ideas of formations then I think we should be winning this game.
You are correct. The top four are playing each other this weekend and we have a chance to close the gap. The lads need to get off their backsides from the whistle.
Good, realistic comments and I completely agree. Yes it’s a pretty good season, but let’s not get carried away. We are known for keeping our feet on the ground.
I was at the Villa game. We were awful and completely devoid of ideas on how to break them down for nearly an hour. It’s just that Villa were even more awful. Payet was dreadful. Gave the ball away, seemed to lack confidence to take players on, passing was poor. And yes, I know even the best players have off days. I also don’t know what all the praise for Song was about. I and the people around me must have been at a different game. He gave the ball away so many times I lost count and the people around me had their heads in their hands every time. Noble was his usual industrious self but only able to pass sideways or backwards as usual, although he did make the first goal. Reid was off the pace and the back four as a whole just kept passing it along the line (apart from Cresswell, who did have some incisiveness about him). You have to move the ball quickly in these situations (the best teams do) and we didn’t have the confidence, determination or skill to do so.
Same against Saints, but we were playing a better 10 men.
I don’t understand why the likes of Moses, Payet, Valencia and Antonio are not told to run at defences and draw free kicks. We now have at least two excellent free kick specialists in Payet and Cresswell. Valencia also isn’t bad and when Lansing is fit, he can also do the biz. Beats the old days of Noble just slamming it into the wall and hoping for the best!
I can’t stand Lawrenson. I think he’s a very poor pundit indeed. States the obvious all the time and doesn’t offer any real insight. But when he says we are not playing well at the moment, I actually think he’s right. Let’s not delude ourselves like Spurs fans. Let’s support our team with massive hearts, but let’s be realistic.
That’s Lanzini (auto correct doing its thing)
I think you are all being very cruel towards Mr Lawrenson. After all, he is a football expert. It says so on the BBC website. The fact that in his predicted league table, he has us and Leicester battling against relegation, and Chelsea in the Champions League places, is testament to his expertise. So please don’t mock the man. After all… He is an expert.
Nice once.
one
Penny it’s not rising to the bate he made the prediction not us he made the stupid comments not us,
The world seem happy to give idiots jobs that they are krap at,
What is it you want Hugh and Sean to write about ?
All I’m saying is it’s the same every week. It brings a smile to my face how annoyed everyone gets every week. An I’m convinced that Sean and Hugh have a bet going on how many angry responses they can garner. It’s all good fun, I find it funny now rather than annoying.
and I am winning 😉
I can’t believe how many people who read this site rise to the bait every week. Lawrenson is try to wind you up and so are Hugh and Sean by repeating it.
😉 As someone said above. I would worry if he tipped us for a win. Lawro baiting is a great term
Hand in Hand Lawersucks and Liverpoor marriage made in heaven
The best season ever as a Hammer 3 wins 1 draw 7-1 on aggregate a nod that’s playing poor football,
If there was ever a time for him to be put out to grass now is it,
Most of our team will be out injured or fresh form not playing 90 minutes,
Adrien,Byram, Song,Oxford did not play at all
Carroll Moses Did not play 90 min
Sakho if playing no minutes
7 players out of 11
What is he on about
Till think it will be a hard game but we should win and need to if we are going to keep our Euro charge going,
Lawersuck should write for Wetpants with Keys and Hippo hat should keep them happy on that sad site
Played 4 won 3 drew 1 . 7 goals for and 1 against ! Hurting is an understatement for this poor excuse of a bloke !! Every time he goes against us I feel 100 feet tall !! His biasness is destroying him as a pundit , he is losing face every time he opens his mug northern mouth . Long may he keep making predictions against us , he is becoming our lucky charm !!! Let’s be honest here , I don’t think anybody is interested in anything he has to say , so why give him any attention for his PR . Ignore the Muppet and watch him make a fool out of himself !!
Even more !!!!!, I can’t see us losing at Norwich but I am weary of naesmith !! He could hurt someone with his cynical challenges and history v west ham for the toffies ! Definitely one to watch.
I wonder how he felt when his darling Liverpool lost in the last minute lol
Sour grapes? Heck no. lol
Having said that, our energy levels could be slightly frayed at the edges after the cup game, but with enforced player replacements, I think we’ll have enough stamina.
Definitely loving Lawro: Gives WHU fans something to get all boiled up about! …Although I can’t see Norwich winning 2-0. Depends what we do about right back….Antonio did a clumsily superb job against Liverpool. Clearly playing way out of position; no complaints; just gets on with it. Does great stuff on the wing….He’s rapidly becoming my favourite player. Fantastic work ethic and even better attitude….AND does the business; what’s not to like. I reckon WHU can win at Carrow Rd, tired or not!
This bloke doesn’t learn….fool…