This is where we try and decipher Lopetegui’s signals over the last few days along with decoding the training ground videos and rumours to try and predict the line up which will be announced in an hour. It isn’t the team we want to see, it is an interpretation of what we think the under-siege West Ham coach will choose.
The rumours are that Lucas Paquetá has an injury and won’t be in the squad, along with the change of goalkeeper back to Alphonse Areola. The absence through suspension of Alvarez and Kudus makes our predicted line up as follows:
Areola | Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson| Soucek, Rodriguez, Soler | Bowen, Antonio, Summerville |
Hard to see this side getting anything in this tough fixture: Newcastle have been too strong for West Ham recently so we’d go for a Newcastle win 2-0. Hopefully not an avalanche again.
Last Time Out: V Everton
Predicted Starting XI: Fabianski | Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson | Rodriguez, Paqueta, Soucek | Bowen, Summerville; Antonio.
Score Prediction – 2-1 West Ham.
Actual Starting XI:
Fabianski | Emerson, Kilman, Todibo, Wan Bissaka | Rodriguez, Soucek, Paquetá | Bowen (c) Antonio, Summerville.
Yay me. 100% correct starting line up but sadly wayyyy overly optimistic that there might be goals. Zero Zero was the result.
Martin – Can you just check the bit in pink that suggests the starting line up prediction was 100% correct?
Surely Paqueta started, not Rodriguez??
oh, will go checkout out. sorry if I’m giving myself credit where it isn’t due 🙂
The comments above did NOT Age well 🤣🤣
I’m sure no one minds too much, we celebrate the victory!😁
Any humble pie left :-)
Treasure, take a sabbatical!
We concede an average of 2 goals a game. So it will be more tonight unfortunately as that midfield wont get near them and the strikers wont get much service as we just wont have the ball much. When we do it will be with slow / limited movement resulting in a long diagonal that Newcastle’s excellent full backs will handle with ease. Insistence on playing a high line and using AWB as the “go to guy” ( like he did with Navas at Seville ) in advanced positions ( he’s apparently had the most touches but created just one chance as surprise, surprise he’s not an attacking wing back ).
Sadly our best way to compete is to sit deeper in a “Moyesball” low block, staying compact and narrow etc. Will keep the score down at least 🙁
At least 4.0 to Newcastle,we are rubbish.
We might get a corner and we could even win the toin coss and that’s gonna be as good as its gets
Totally agree with John we could have had a new manager in place for the last two weeks.I think this could be a route for Newcastle 3,4,5 sadly
I agree with the line up but Newcastle are on the up and we’re decidedly not so I think a 2-0 defeat will be about the best we can hope for. In our last away games Forest got three and Tottenham got four.
I don’t think it’s going to be pretty but I will watch from start to finish hoping for the best. Sometimes in football things don’t go as they look certain to.
I cannot help thinking that a new manager could have been in place for over two weeks preparing for this, and that we will be calling for Lopeteguis head well before the final whistle.
Hats off to our blokes who have gone up there to support the team, that’s likely to be a thankless task tonight.
Antonio 2 & Soucek 1. Just hope that Toon don’t score more than 2.
COYI
Until we get some dynamism and athleticism in midfield we’re never going to compete at any level. Our midfield player’s are clearly not upto PL standard and I expect nothing other than resounding defeat. Give younger more mobile player’s some game time because this could be embarrassing tonight.
We are going to be mullered. We will be lucky to lose by less than 5 nil. This West Ham team is hopeless, spineless, clueless and cowardly. It’s so disappointing. Dreams always fade and die. As for the Arsenal game God help us. Oh no sorry but s/he supports the Gooners. We’re doomed.