West Ham may be looking for their first clean sheet since January 12 when they step out against Watford tomorrow evening.
And maybe ominously that comes at a time when the Hornets achieved their first clean sheet against Burnley in their last game since February 2020 when beating Liverpool 3-0 in Roy Hodgson’s first game as boss.
The Hammers have conceded five in their last three games and may find themselves without Kurt Zouma who is understood to be on his way for scans on the injury he suffered against Kidderminster later today.
Should he be missing tomorrow evening David Moyes has few other options than to bring in Issa Diop unless he overcomes his reluctance to play Aji Alese or Jamal Baptiste.
We believe he will need to be brave given Diop’s current form and go with one of the under 23s in what could be a tricky game against a team again battling against relegation.
Vladi Coufal looks set to return at right back but whether the manager goes with Michail Antonio is another tricky selection problem given he has only just returned from two defeats in Jamaica’s World Cup campaign.
We would go with him and here’s our team should Zouma’s be absent : Fabianski, Coufal, Alese, Dawson, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Lanzini, Fornals, Antonio.
Playing Academy players is great … at the correct time under the right circumstances . Mind you Alese must be good as there was no one better than him available !! Moyes is a liability .
For once totally agreed with you Hugh.
Under Roy Watford will set themselves up for a point and a 0-0 draw. Not losing and conceding will be his priority. This will be an ideal game for Alese
We will have to be patient.
Better passing too.
They will foul on the edge of their half to stop any forward movement.
Alese is actually good at bringing the ball out from the back.
Moyes needs to be brave. Playing the likes of Masuaku, Fredericks and Yarmolenko is not.
Time to show your trust in some youth. Look at Forest David.
Moyes is not a liability! What is a liability iare supporters who constantly criticise bordering on being abusive to a guy who got us out of the mire over last two years. He and the team deserve our support over the rest of what is so far our most successful season for many years. The test will be this Summer with players leaving and significant recruitment critical to continuing success. I doubt David Moyes us unaware of how important this is and the Summer window is always the best time to recruit.
Einstein said madness is to keep repeating a failed attempt just hoping it will succeed. That is Diop. Play Alese. He is only inexperienced because of DMs reluctance to give the U23’s sub time. If he plays Diop with Masuaku and Yarmo subbing later on that sounds like pure madness.
Getting a bit tired of all the Moyes criticism especially regarding his so called reluctance to play unproven teenage defenders over and above proven premier league defenders. Quite mad when you think about it.
So you think Fredericks and Masuaka are proven PL defenders, I am sorry to say you are on your own with that one. Declan Rice would not be where is today if he did not get his chance so its time to play the U23s instead of players like these two, Kral or Noble. Lets see if we have another Rice in there – I think we may have.