Paqueta – a sight we hope to see tonight
It takes little working out what team David Moyes will throw onto the field for the match against AZ Alkmaar this evening.
Hopefully, however, he will not treat this game as an ultra defensive affair and attempt to hold onto the one goal lead he has from the first leg at the London Stadium.
That was a dogged win rather than an exciting victory, sealed by Mike Antonio’s stabbed home shot from close range.
The temptation to defend against a team beaten only one on its own great will be great but one assumes the manager will go with his counter approach which has become something of a seasonal trademark.
So here’s the team we expect to take the pitch against a very good AZ outfit who won 5-1 against lowly Emmen at the weekend while we were being beaten at Brentford.
West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek, Paqueta, Benrahma, Bowen, Antonio
By Hughie Southon
Need a quick start tonight. Use our strengths in attack. Sitting back and protecting the lead will be a disaster. Get an early goal and silence the crowd. COYI!
Against a team who haven’t lost at home in Europe stretching back 25 games it’s going to be tough. I feel like the Moyes out brigade are already sharpening theyre knives by saying we need to go all out attack. I don’t think we do. With a one goal advantage I think we just need to be clever, control the game. Play our way not theirs. Do what we’re good at. Hit them on the counter attack when the opportunities arise.