Next Weekend’s Mouth Watering Match Ups

The early season clash coming next weekend between West Ham United and Crystal Palace offers a rapid chance for Irons’ fans to put the disappointment of the opening day defeat behind them. The prospect of several of our new signings making their way into the starting team throws up some on-pitch match ups to anticipate.

For Crystal Palace, Eberechi Eze likes to play as something of a hybrid left midfield/inside left in old parlance. The England Winger has lightning pace and will be a danger whenever he has the chance to run at our defence.

Hopefully our right-sided defence will be ready for him: Aaron Wan-Bissaka has a reputation as being one of the best tacklers in the country and I am just keeping everything crossed that he is ready to start alongside Jean Clair Todibo for the first time in our remodelled defence.

It will be truly epic to see how these two new recruits work to keep Eze quiet: Quite a contrast between Mavropanos and Coufal seeking to do the same, let’s hope for both the spectacle, and for our clean sheet tally that the ‘new for 2024’ right side will be ready and raring to go.

At the other end, Jarrod Bowen on the right will line up against Palace and England centre back Mark Guehi who has had a torrid time this afternoon being run ragged by Brentford’s left footed winger Mbuemo who ran at him, cut inside and scored in a very Bowen-esque manner and served to make me look ahead to next weekend.

Bowen will have had a week longer to prepare after zero pre season so I expect him to come roaring back. Hopefully JLo will set us up allowing Jarrod and Mo Kudus to flip wings -which  will give Mo the chance to attack Guehi which again will be well worth watching: Two Internationals going head to head – I’m looking forward to it already!